


XIRUS

by africangoddesss



Series: LX Series [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Elves, Fantasy, Fiction, Fighter, God - Freeform, Goddess, High Elves, Warrior - Freeform, Werewolves, avariel elves, awbm, black man, elemental elves, humble, mythical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2020-05-19 16:02:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 58
Words: 65,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19360207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/africangoddesss/pseuds/africangoddesss
Summary: Part 2 of LX Series~On Xirus' eighteenth birthday, his parents die in a plane accident causing him to go live with family friends in the east.They treated him bad. They abused him physically, mentally, and emotionally. He hated it there. And the school he went to was by far the worst place. Students bullied him and made fun of him. His marks dropped immediately causing him to only get F's on every assignment.He was very lonely. He became isolated as he kept to himself. Often times he wished things would return back to normal. He wished his parents were alive. He wished he wasn't living with his guardians, he wished he was still doing well in school, and he wished he had friends.Then one night, on his twenty-first birthday Xirus decided to pack his bags and leave. He needed to get away. He needed to start afresh.But on that very same night, he saw something remarkable. Something that made him question human's existence, mythical creatures and fairytales.Something that would change his life forever.





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Xirus was a straight A-student and had been for several years. He was quite knowledgeable when it came to astrology and loved talking about the planets and stars.

At school, he was loved by everyone. He was the teacher's pet and all the girls chased after him. He achieved many awards and was apart of many extracurriculars. 

He enjoyed school, unlike many people. It was one of his favourite places to be in.

But, all this came to an end when Xirus turned eighteen. His parents died in a plane accident causing him to go live with a family friend in the east.

They treated him badly. They abused him physically, mentally, and emotionally. He hated it there. And the school he went to was by far the worst place. He hated it. Students bullied him and made fun of him. His marks dropped immediately causing him to only get F's on every assignment.

He was very lonely. He became isolated as he kept to himself. Often times he wished things would return back to normal. He wished his parents were alive. He wished he wasn't living with his guardians, he wished he was still doing well in school, and he wished he had friends. 

Then one night, on his twenty-first birthday Xirus decided to pack his bags and leave. He needed to get away from people. He needed to start afresh.

But on that same night, he saw something remarkable. Something that made him question human existence, mythical creatures and fairytales. 

Something that would change his life forever.

~

 

"GET ME A CAN OF BEER!" Jason yelled at me. "GET IT YOURSELF!" I yelled back. Couldn't he see I was doing my damn homework?

"Excuse me?"

My eyes stayed focused on the paper in front of me ignoring Jason as he crept towards me. I was utterly confused. What the hell was Algebra and why did it exist?

Suddenly he pushed me off of my chair causing me to fall onto the floor. I knew instantly that I had bruised my knee. "GET ME MY BEER RIGHT NOW!" he spat. I hurriedly got off the floor and walked towards the fridge. After taking out his beer, I threw it on his couch. "HERE YOU GO YOU PIG!" I then grabbed my stuff and ran up the stairs. As soon as I got to my room, I slammed the door shut and locked it.

"XIRUS GET DOWN HERE NOW!!" I heard him yell. Instead of listening, I walked into my bathroom and took out the alcohol from my cabinet. I then rubbed it over my bruise. It stung a bit, but I was used to it. I then took a bandaid and placed it over my bruised knee.

I looked at its container to see that I needed more bandaids. I was running out. After tidying up, I threw myself onto my bed. I was tired but didn't want to fall asleep knowing that I would have a nightmare. Number two to be exact.

Ever since my parents died, I had been having these three nightmares. One every night. Often times it would be nightmares two and three. It was very rarely number one.

Number one always started with me sitting in the middle of an isolated room. I would be like that for around ten minutes and then suddenly the room would catch on fire and I would burn to death. There was no way to escape it. I hated number one and was glad I very rarely experienced it.

Number two was the worst one. It was my parents' accident. It was like I was there. I could see them get on the plane, talk to each other while it moved, and then suddenly panic when it started dropping to the earth. I could see my parents praying to God to protect me knowing they weren't going to make it. The worst part was the end. I could see glimpses of my parents' bodies as they burned to ash.

And number three was pretty scary too. Jason would beat me to death with a baseball bat. His wife and kids would stand on the side of the room laughing at me while I begged him to stop.

That's why I had insomnia because I refused to fall asleep. I was only eighteen years old. I had thought of running away, but I knew it wouldn't work out. I would get caught and Jason would probably shoot me with his handgun. So instead, I endured it.

~

Present day : Monday, June 10

And here I was. Lying in my bed staring at the clock as the handles ticked very slowly. Almost three years later and I was still here in this hell hole.

Why? Well, because I hadn't found a way to escape yet. I was still planning it all out.

I dropped out of high school and started working for Jason at his bar downtown. His wife divorced him and moved out with the kids so it was just him and me.

He didn't beat me anymore. But he was still foul with his words. He treated me like dirt. Like I was animal. This must be a small fraction of what my ancestors went through.

I couldn't fall asleep. I still had the nightmares. So instead I stayed up and drew. It was a talent of mine that no one knew about. On my lunch breaks at work, I would go to the library and sign out fiction books. I would then draw out the characters. I kept them underneath my bed because I knew if Jason would ever find them, it would be over.

I was currently drawing Xavier from the book Quiet Whispers. He had curly blond hair and a skinny built. He had two tattoos on his left arm and a birthmark on his right cheek. Drawing was my safe place. I used to draw pictures of myself with my parents when I got really sad, but then I would crumple it up and throw it away. I had hoped that the picture would come to life, not realizing it was just my imagination and would never come true.

I still had no friends. Yes, Manda was extremely nice to me but she was many years older. Often times girls would come to the bar and flirt with me, but I just ignored them. They were all whores anyway.

Jason always underpaid me. If I worked for twelve hours, he would only pay me half the amount he should, but luckily Manda always slipped me the rest when he wasn't looking. Even though she wasn't a friend, she was the kindest person I knew.

My life was pretty pathetic. All I did was worked at the bar, go to the gym, draw, and read books. There was nothing exciting about any of that. I had no education and no family. I had turned to drugs and alcohol at the age of nineteen, but instantly quit knowing that I did not want to end up like Jason.

After feeling satisfied with my drawing, I put my book away and turned off my lamp. I turned to look outside my window. It was a full moon. I knew I needed to fall asleep because I hadn't slept for two days. I braced myself for nightmare number two before closing my eyes to be greeted with darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Tuesday, June 11

The next day after my nine to five-hour shift, I decided to walk home instead of taking the bus. It was a forty-five-minute walk and I always rode the bus after work to the house, but for some reason today I decided not to.

I began to walk through the streets with my bag over my shoulder. It was quite hot. I wanted to wear shorts, but I couldn't. I didn't want anyone to see my bruises. They were quite noticeable. 

I then stopped walking to take off my sweater. I brought my backpack to the front of my chest and put my sweater inside. All of a sudden, I felt someone shove me. I looked to see a girl run past me.

"Uh sorry!" she yelled as she turned back to look at me. I then watched her run away. I placed my hand against my shoulder feeling it ache a bit. Dang, she pushed me hard.

I continued walking under the hot sun until I arrived in front of an alleyway. I decided to stop walking for a bit. I was basically melting.

"GIVE IT BACK!" I heard someone yell. I looked into the alleyway to see a kid on the other end trying his best to snatch his skateboard out of the hands of a bully. "JUST TAKE IT FROM ME!" the bully yelled back.

I was tired and wanted to continue walking but something in my heart told me to go and help the boy. As I started walking into the alley, I couldn't help but remember my senior year at high school. I would get bullied every single day. Being the only black kid in an all-white school made me hate my skin colour. They would call me a monkey and would sometimes come to school with mud on their faces saying that they were my long lost cousins. 

They would steal my money and put up inappropriate posters of me in the hallways. I was too scrawny to stand up for myself. I would wear long sleeve shirts and pants to hide the scars that I got from Jason and his ex-wife. I didn't want the bullies, students, or teachers to ask me questions.

Everyone hated me. Not a single person cared about my wellbeing. I was tempted to end it all several times because it became unbearable, but I told myself it would get better. And it has. I have gained a lot of muscle and weight. I can defend myself hence the reason why Jason has stopped hitting me. Unfortunately, though, I have scars to remind me of what happened. The last two years of being a teenager really damaged me. 

I knew that I needed to stick up for others who couldn't because I knew what it felt like to be trampled on.

As soon as I made it to the other end, the boy in the middle pushed the victim onto the ground. They began to laugh at him as he lay there with tears in his eyes. He was probably twelve years old. "Leave him alone," I told the three bullies. 

"Why don't you mind your business blackface?" the kid with the skateboard responded. His other two friends laughed.

"I will not repeat myself again," I stated.

The middle boy threw the skateboard on the ground and scoffed. "Come on, let's leave before the freak tries anything on us," he said. We watched as the boys ran through the alleyway and disappeared. I then turned around to help the boy up. "Here," I said as I reached out my hand to him.

At first, he looked hesitant but eventually placed his hand in mine. I helped him up before retrieving his skateboard. "The next time he or his friends bother you, kick him right here," I said while pointing down at my groin.

He slowly nodded his head in response. After giving back his skateboard, he took a different route than the bullies and skateboarded away from me.

I was glad I was able to help him. I hope those bullies leave him alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Friday, June 14

Three days later, during my lunch break, I headed over towards the library to sign out more books. I was currently interested in Greek history. I returned my previous books and walked over towards the history section and began my search.

After picking up three books, I signed them out and took a seat at an isolated table far away from everyone else. I picked up Ancient Greece by Thomas R. Martin and opened it to its first page.

Suddenly a girl holding at least ten books walked past me to sit at the other end of the table. I noticed right away that she had dropped one. I got up from my chair to pick it up. It was a red book with no title. I then walked over towards her and placed it on the table.

As I walked back to my chair, I heard a voice speak to me. "Oh, thank you. I didn't see it fall." As I sat back in my chair, I lifted my eyes to look at the girl. Sure enough, it was the same girl from Monday who bumped into me.

"Oh it's you," she finally said after noticing me. "Sorry for bumping into you the other day. I was running late for something," she said.

"It's fine." I open the book again and started reading. No later than thirty seconds, she was talking to me again.

"Do you live here?" she asked. I looked up at her in confusion. "Uh, yeah. In the east," I told her.

"Oh, uh cool," she said. I looked back down for the second time and continued reading my book. I then flickered my eyes to look at the girl again. She had her eyebrows scrunched as she sat there with her head in the book. I had never seen her before in my entire life.

Where we lived, there weren't a lot of people so I basically knew everyone's faces, but I didn't know hers.

"Do you live here?" I asked her back.

She looked up and smiled. "Um, no. I'm actually visiting." It felt weird talking to her. I never talked to anybody unless I was at work or to Jason at the house.

"What book are you reading?" she asked me. "Uh, it's called Ancient Greece. It's about the ancient history of Greece."

"Oh wow. Greece," she said with excitement as her eyes lit up. "I would love to go there someday."

"Yes, me too," I responded. "Uh, what are all those books about?" I asked staring at the pile of books around her.

"Oh, um. W-well, you s-see..." she stuttered. "I love reading Fantasy, so uh their all Fantasy books," she exclaimed.

"Cool." I enjoyed Fantasy books too. They were quite fascinating. I often watched fantasy movies too.

"Uh, I hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you?" She was rather inquisitive. It seemed like she genuinely wanted to get to know me. "I'm turning twenty-one in a week."

"Hmmm, you look younger," she said.

"Oh really? Well, that's good," I said with a chuckle. I instantly stopped laughing and closed my mouth. I laughed. Xirus just laughed. What was happening to me?

"Are you ok?" she asked me. "Uh, yeah I'm fine. Um, how old are you?"

"I am nineteen."

"Nice," I told her. Nice? Are you kidding me Xirus?

"What do they call you?" she suddenly asked me out of the blue. I couldn't remember the last time someone had asked me what my name was. "Xirus," I finally said.

"Xirus," she repeated underneath her breath. "That's a really cool name."

"Thanks, my mother chose it. What's yours?"

"Uh, its Nia," she said. I nodded my head in response. I was somewhat enjoying this. Us talking. I knew we weren't going to be friends, but it felt nice talking to someone other than Manda who actually sounded like they cared.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," I told her.

"Is that your real skin colour?"

My eyes widened in shock hearing those words come out of her mouth. Was she serious? I got up from chair feeling angry. I wasn't expecting that from her at all. I knew it was too good to be true.

I grabbed my books and walked away from the table. "Xirus! Wait!"I heard her call out to me. As soon as I got outside, I turned the corner and headed back to work. I couldn't believe I thought she wasn't racist. How stupid was I to actually think that?


	4. Chapter 4

Monday, June 17

When I went back to the library three days later on my day off to return my books, I was hoping that Nia wasn't there. I usually would finish reading my books in under five hours and would return them the next day, but I had been avoiding the library.

When I got there, I quickly did a scan. She was nowhere to be seen. Perfect. I returned my books and went back to the history section. This time I picked up three books about Roman history and signed them out. I was going to take a seat and start reading one of my books, but I changed my mind.

Instead, I went back to the history section and was looking at what I should read next. "Maybe Japan," I mumbled to myself while staring at books about Japanese history.

"What about Japan?" I heard someone say from behind me. I turned around to see Nia standing there. My heart sank. Oh, here we go.

I turned back around and continued minding my own business. "Listen Xirus. I am sorry about Friday," she said after moving next to me.

I ignored her and removed a book from the shelf. "I can explain myself," she said.

"Explain what? That you're racist?" I asked her. "I thought you were different. I thought you wanted to get to know me and didn't care about my skin colour."

"I don't care about your skin colour!" she exclaimed. "Shhh!" a lady working at the library told us.

"It's just... Can we talk somewhere else?"

I was a bit annoyed but agreed anyway. We both stepped out of the library and began to walk. After arriving at an isolated park located near some houses, we both took a seat on a bench.

"You see, where I'm from there's no one who looks like you."

Was she kidding me? "There are a lot of places in the world that don't have many black people," I told her. Where was she going with this?

"Well, I've never seen a black person, before," she said.

"Where are you from?" I asked her.

"Uh, it's a very tiny city in the east," she said. "Look I wasn't trying to be rude or anything. The colour of your skin is very fascinating to me."

I knew she was telling the truth but was rather surprised she had never seen a black person before. She looked biracial so I couldn't seem to get it.

"Can we start over? I want to be your friend," she said.

"M-my friend?" What was wrong with this girl?

"Yes your friend," she stated with a smile.

"But why?" I asked her. Why did she want to be my friend?

"What do you mean why? You seem like a cool person to be around and I wouldn't mind getting to know you even more," she exclaimed.

I then got up from the bench and turned around to look at her. "Trust me, you don't want to be my friend. You should go," I told her. 

"But I do and I am not leaving," she said.

I stared at Nia's face seeing that she was sincere. She actually wanted to be my friend. This was a bit weird for me.

I sighed as I continued staring at her. "I'll try my best to not annoy you. I am a bit bored these days," she said.

"But aren't you visiting? Do you have family living here?" 

"Something like that... come on! Let's go on those things!" she said before running towards the swings.

So Nia and I spent quite a bit of time together for the next couple of days despite me working. I took her to my gym and showed her how to use some of the machinery. She really liked the treadmill. We went to the library several times and ate out a lot. 

She was a weird one. She didn't seem to know a lot of stuff. It was like she was from another planet. She was quite interesting and somewhere deep in my heart, I was grateful that she wanted to be my friend. It felt nice hanging out with her.


	5. Chapter 5

Thursday, June 20

I couldn't hang out with Nia today because she told me she had something important to do. It was a bit gloomy today, but at least I got paid. I opened to door to the house at around 10:30pm and stepped inside. I noticed right away that Jason was lying on the couch. He was probably drunk.

I began to make my way towards the stairs. "Are y-you sleeping with a w-whore?" Jason slurred.

I stopped to look at him. "Excuse me?" I asked.

"I s-saw that girl... she's v-very pretty," he said while walking towards me.

"First of all she isn't a whore! And second of all who I hang out with is none of your business!"

"Y-you disgust me..... you're m-mom should've aborted y-you when she h-had the c-chance." Without even thinking I dropped my bag and punched Jason in the face. He immediately staggered back and brought his hand up to his nose which was bleeding profusely. 

"YOU SON OF A BI-" I punched him again which made him fall onto the floor. "YOU'RE SO DAMN LUCKY I DIDN'T KILL YOU LAST YEAR!" I yelled at him. He remained on the ground with both of his hands on his nose trying his best to stop the blood.

"I HAD THAT KNIFE IN MY HAND READY TO STAB YOU BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I TOLD MYSELF NO!" I screamed as I felt my eyes get teary.

"YOU TREATED ME SO BADLY! IF MY PARENTS KNEW YOU WERE AN ALCOHOLIC, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SENT ME HERE! THEY TRUSTED YOU! THEY TOLD YOU AND YOUR WIFE TO TAKE CARE OF ME KNOWING THAT ONE DAY THEY KNEW THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO!"

As I breathed heavily, I turned around to walk away from the bastard, but out of nowhere, I suddenly felt him grab onto my leg as he pulled me down. Before I knew it, my back was against the floor and Jason's bloody hands were squeezing my neck.

"I could j-just kill you right n-now and no one would even n-notice..." I placed my hands on his trying my best to get them off of my neck. I couldn't breathe. He was squeezing tighter and tighter. I turned my head to see a pen lying underneath the couch. 

I reached out to grab it. Unfortunately, my fingers only grazed its surface. I pushed myself closer to the couch and was finally able to grab it. I then removed my hand from underneath the couch and stabbed Jason in the side.

"AHHH!" Jason yelled out in pain. He immediately removed his hands from my neck and placed it on the pen. I pushed him off of me and rolled away so I could catch my breath. I coughed violently still feeling Jason's tight squeeze on my neck.

I watched as Jason groaned in pain while holding the pen. I needed to get upstairs. I quickly got up and grabbed a knife from the kitchen. "WHERE DO YOU T-THINK YOU'RE G-GOING?!" He yelled at me.

I picked my bag off of the floor and ran upstairs to my room with my grip tight on the handle of the knife. I instantly closed it and turned the lock. I had to get out of here. Tonight was the night. 

After placing the knife on my bedside table, I threw my bag onto my bed and rushed towards my closet. I pulled out my largest bag which was on the top shelf and threw it onto my bed. I then took out the items that I needed; two sweaters, two pants, two t-shirts, and two shorts. I carried them to my bed and stuff them into my bag. I then went back to my closet and grabbed two beanies. After placing them in my bag, I stopped moving trying my best to hear any movement coming from downstairs. It was silent.

I decided to shower before leaving. I had no idea where I was even going so I knew it was best if I showered now. After my shower, I placed my toothbrush, hand sanitizer, first-aid kit, lotion, and two pairs of boxers in my bag. I packed my portable charger and placed my wallet and stash of savings at the bottom of the bag. I think that's it. I think I'm ready to go. 

Just as I was about to open my room's door, I turned around to walk towards my dresser. I removed my parents' picture off of my mirror and placed it into the back pocket of my pants. I then opened my first drawer to remove the flashlight my father gave me when I was younger and placed it in my bag. Now I was ready.

I grabbed the knife from my bedside table and retrieved out of my room. I slowly closed its door and descended down the stairs. I quickly checked the living room to see that Jason was knocked out onto the couch. I looked at his wound to see it bandaged up. I crept away from him and walked to the fridge. I grabbed two bottles of water and an apple. 

I walked to the front door and slipped on my shoes. I opened the closet to grab my jacket. I opened the door and stepped outside. I began to walk away from the house feeling a bit nervous.

"I'm sorry mom and dad," I whispered. I hopped onto the bus and walked to the isolated seats at the back. After sitting down, I took out my phone feeling fearful of the messages I would get sooner or later. I needed to delete his number.

I then realized that it was currently 12 am. 

Well, happy birthday to me.


	6. Chapter 6

Friday, June 21

After riding on the bus for a good while, I got off to catch the train. I had no idea where I was going. I just needed to get far away from that town. Far away from Jason.

Once I got on the train, I immediately knocked into a deep sleep.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?!" Jason yelled as I laid there on the floor of the living room. I watched as his wife handed him the baseball bat.

"PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!" I yelled at him.

"SHUTUP!" He then started hitting me violently with the baseball bat. I could hear both his kids and his wife laugh as they watched me getting tortured. 

I woke up breathing heavily. I looked at my surroundings feeling very fearful. I was still on the train and Jason was nowhere to be seen. I sighed in relief. 

I yawned as I began to stretch. The train was pretty empty. I was debating if I should ride on it for a bit longer, or if I should get off. 

I finally came to a decision. I got off at the next stop having no idea where I was. I saw a sign that read Pillsburg Town. I had never heard of this place, but I knew it was far away from where I lived before. 

I began walking through the dark streets feeling very lonely. This was it. I was all by myself now. I continued walking until I came to the end of the street. In a distance, I saw a forest. There was a path leading into it and it was pretty dark. Maybe it lead to another town or village. 

So I held on tight to my bag and began to make my way towards the forest. This was pretty sketchy. I, Xirus, would never even go near something like this, especially if it was two in the morning. But I was desperate. I was searching. For what? I didn't really know.

I finally approached the pathway and looked around. It was pretty creepy. The thick forest was very tall as the trees stood very closely together. The pathway was also very narrow as it curved through the forest. 

I began to make my way through it t with my eyes wide open despite how early and dark it was. It was a bit chilly so I decided to zip up my jacket.

I continued walking on the path. Ever so often I turned around feeling a bit paranoid. I had been walking for around two minutes. "Maybe I should turn back," I mumbled to myself.

Suddenly I saw a flash of lightning appeared in the sky. A few seconds later, the thunder echoed. "Lovely." I turned back around and continued down the curvy path. 

As soon as the rain started to fall, I began to pick up the pace and start running. As I ran faster and faster, the rain splattered against my face. It was falling very hard.

I finally stopped running seeing the path break off into two directions. I turned left without really thinking about it.

I continued running hoping that I would find shelter to hide underneath. After running for a bit longer, I was suddenly greeted by a small cave.

I ran underneath of it not wanting to be in the rain any longer. I then took off my backpack feeling that it was completely soaked.

I checked my phone to see that it was 3:30 am. Noticing a large rock, I walked over to it and sat down. I hugged my knees as I sat there in the dark watching the rain create mud on the ground. 

Suddenly a black cat appeared out of nowhere as it scurried into the cave. It's yellow eyes immediately connected with mine as it walked over towards me.

"Hey," I said as I began to pet it. "Are you lost?" It purred as it nuzzled into me. Then out of nowhere, it moved away from me and suddenly disappeared into the cave.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I called out as my voice echoed. I grunted as I got up. I opened my bag and took out my flashlight. The cave was completely pitch black and I was a bit nervous to go after the cat.

"Screw it," I said. I turned it on and began to make my way through the cave. As I was walking the sound of the rain falling got quieter. I waved my flashlight to the ground hoping I wouldn't, god forbid, step on the cat or anything else.

"Not again," I groaned as I approached two different small openings of tunnels. They were both dark as I stood there debating which one I should go into. 

I suddenly heard a noise in the right one. I instantly entered it hoping I would find the black cat soon. It was ridiculous; what I was doing? Why was I even here? I had been walking in this damn cave for around ten minutes. 

Suddenly, I felt a pain shoot through my calf. "Ow!" I winced. I shone the flashlight on it seeing that I had been scratched. The claws marks were pretty deep. I had also noticed the black cat sitting right next to my leg.

"Are you serious? I didn't even do anything to you!"

I decided I needed to sit down. I sat down in front of a bunch of rocks. I shone my flashlight to see that we had approached the end of the tunnel. I was surrounded by many rocks, large and small, with an empty space of ground in the middle. 

I sighed as I shone the light on my leg for the second time. A bit of blood was dripping down my leg. "It's pretty deep," I told the cat who just sat there staring at me. I crouched down to lift up its tail. It was a female. "Even though you're pretty violent, I might as well pretend you're my only friend so why not give you a name?" I said. "Hmmm, I'm going to call you Midnight."

As I sat there feeling drenched and cold, I suddenly began to think of Nia. I didn't even tell her I was running away. I hoped she wouldn't be too mad or sad. I needed to leave that place. It was driving me insane and it wasn't good for me mentally and emotionally.

I tried my best to ignore the stinging pain in my leg as I sat there with my back against rocks. 

-

I had fallen asleep. I didn't even realize until I had woken up. I thought I had been dreaming because I didn't have a single nightmare. No, not one. It was weird because I always had nightmares. I wasn't complaining, just shocked. I checked my phone to see that it was now 5 am. 

"Midnight," I whispered. Where did she go? I got up from the rock still feeling pain in my leg. Suddenly something had caught my eye. On the other side of the cave, there was a small light in between rocks. "Was that always there?

I slowly walked over towards it. Sure enough, there was a hole big enough for a cat to go through. I crouched down and looked through it. It was pretty light outside even though it was 5 am. 

I started to pull the rocks away trying to make the hole bigger for me to fit through. It was a struggle. I finally was able to move some rocks away, but the hole was still not big enough for me to wiggle my body through. I continued throwing down the rocks until the hole was the perfect size for me. I pushed my bag into it and pulled myself through it. I wiggled my way through the hole until I had finally fallen onto the grass. As soon as I got up, the hole suddenly started to close. 

"What the hell?" I watched as rocks from inside of the cave kept on falling until the hole was completely covered and was no longer there.

I turned around to look at my surroundings. I was utterly confused. Where was I? 

"Meow." I looked down to see Midnight staring at me. She suddenly began to run away. "Where are you going?!"

I followed her as I limped trying my best to keep up with her. Where was she going? Before I knew, I was falling. I noticed right away that Midnight was ahead of me. We were both falling. 

"AH!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. We were falling down what seemed like a hill. I couldn't stop myself as the ground got closer and closer. Our bodies finally flung into the air until they both landed on the ground. I groaned in pain, feeling an aching sensation fill my body. 

"Princess Ellania! Look!" I heard a child say out in a distance. Princess? Where the hell was I? I was in a lot of pain as I lifted myself up to sit properly on the grass. Midnight stayed close to me as she nuzzled into my body.

I watched as the princess began to make her way towards me. As soon as she got to me I heard her gasp. "XIRUS?!"

I rubbed my eyes before looking up at her. What the hell?

"NIA?!!"


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you doing here?" she asked me. I looked at her noticing she was in a long dress. "What do you mean? What are you doing here?" I asked her. I was so confused. "Where am I?"

"Well, it's hard to explain, but you shouldn't be here. How did you get here?" she asked me. "From that cave up there..." I muttered. I winced again in pain as I touched my leg. "You're hurt!" she exclaimed.

She kneeled down to touch my leg. "It's fine. I'll be fine," I said.

"Meow," Midnight purred next to me. Nia's eyes lit up as soon as she noticed the cat. "Aww. Hello!" she exclaimed. "It's cute. Is it yours? I don't remember you mentioning anything about having a cat."

"I found Midnight today. She followed me here so I guess she's mine now," I said with a chuckle.

"She's beautiful."

I looked at Nia's face seeing her admire Midnight. She had on a smile as stroked Midnight's black fur. I suddenly looked at her ears and gasped. "What happened to your ears?"

She twisted her mouth and gave me a sour face. "Nothing happened. What are you talking about?"

"W-why are they so pointy?"

Her eyes widened. "Um..." Suddenly I noticed some movement in a distance. It was two people riding horses. They were coming towards us. Nia turned her head looking in their direction. She gasped before turning back to look at me.

"Ok listen very carefully Xirus. You need to pretend you don't know me. In this land, I am the king's daughter and I'm not supposed to go the human's side. No one is. So please, just pretend I found you and have no idea who you are. Ok?" she asked me.

I sat there soaking in what she had just told me. What? "I d-don't seem to understand..." What did she mean by the human's side? Wasn't she human too?

"I'll explain everything later. Just please call me Princess Ellania, not Nia."

"Ok."

Once they approached us, they both immediately gave me a dirty look. They were men with long hair. Why the hell were they looking at me like that?

"I es gdes toy? umh y es da ata?" The one on the right asked Nia. Wonderful. They weren't speaking in English.

"On, e gdemc da kuna frin da kuva. da's emjorah si a maah gi premt en gi Sharian," she told him.

"Po u ef da's u gdrau? da's qoega hurc umh a him' cmi i da es?"

"Kina im Othorion! Da's emjorah. Da lausg a kum hi es rau es lat!" Nia exclaimed.

The guy taking to Nia rolled his eyes before moving his eyes to look at me. What was his problem?

"Can you get up?" she asked me. "Um yeah." I slowly stood up trying my best to ignore the pain.

"Othorion! Ti im Paeris' irsa. E'll reha egd en," she told the guy. I assumed his name was Othorion. 

"Ellania, e's fema. da kum reha egd na."

"E emsesg."

I had no idea what language they were speaking but I watched the Othorion guy hop off of his horse and walk over towards the other guy. The guy on the horse then reached his arm out and swiftly pulled Othorion up behind him.

"Ok. I'm going to ride the horse, you just hold onto me," Nia said.

I quickly placed Midnight in my bag making sure to leave it slightly open. I then put it on my back. After, we walked over towards the horse. Nia quickly hopped over it before pulling my arm up. As I sat on the horse, I felt a bit nervous. I had never ridden a horse before.

"Hold on tight," she whispered to me.

"Um ok..." I slowly placed my hands on her waist trying my best not to hold on tightly. I turned briefly to look at the other guys. Othorion was staring at Nia and I's contact. He looked irritated. He also looked like he wanted to kill me.

"Hiyuh!" And we were off. As soon as I noticed we were moving, I gripped onto Nia's waist tighter. She was riding really fast. Once we had exited the forest, my mouth dropped as I looked at the view. It was literally the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

The sun was setting as it gave the sky an orange-pinkish colour. I immediately noticed the large castle that stood in the distance. It was massive. There were also villages surrounding it. On the left-hand side, water like the ocean poured onto a sandy beach that was located on the edge of the villages. We were riding down what seemed like a brick pathway. The hooves of the horses clacked against the ground in a rhythmic pattern. 

I wondered where exactly we were. It was weird how I entered a cave and then suddenly ended up here. And it was quite obvious I was now in a different time zone. I was very confused and wanted answers asap.

As our horses galloped through the villages, people stopped what they were doing to stare at us. The majority of them looked confused. In fact, when I turned around to look at them, they were following us.

When we finally arrived at the castle, we stopped. The doors immediately opened and out stepped the king and the queen. Next to them was a girl who looked a bit like Nia. She was probably her sister.

Around three guys armed with armor also came out. Nia hopped off of the horse first, before helping me down. As we walked closer towards her parents, I felt kind of strange.

"Fugdat e fiome en. E saans leca da kuna frin da kuva. Da es emjorah umh maahs sina dalb," Nia exclaimed to her father.

I watched as the king looked at me strangely before looking at Nia. "A him' cmi en. da's u onum! da kiolh pa u gdrau!"

"Po fugdat!"

"Klaern. Da lausg a kum hi es buk ob es lat," the Queen said.

Suddenly I heard chattering from behind us. I turned around to see a crowd of many people approach us. They were the villagers. I noticed immediately that everyone was white. Not a single black person. 

I turned around to look at Nia's parents. Her father was white and her mother looked Asian. And that's when I realized that everyone had pointy ears. Not just Nia, but everyone. Who were these people and where exactly was I? I couldn't wait for Nia to explain everything to me.

The king descended down the stairs and walked towards me. I stood there feeling very awkward. "Does he speak English?" I asked Nia.

"Yes," Nia said. I turned back to look at the king. "Hi, um. My name is Xirus. I don't intend on staying. My cat scratched me pretty deep so it would be nice if you guys had a bandage or something."

"Sure. But when you've recovered, I would like to speak with you later," he said to me sternly. I gulped slowly hearing him talk. He looked and sounded scary.

"Caab u vaty klisa aya im en," he said to the three men with armor. "I'll bring him to Sharian. Come, follow me," Nia said. I walked up the stairs and followed her into the castle.

She then quickly took a sharp left turn and descended down another set stairs. I continued following her. We finally approached these two tall doors.

"Sharian?" She called out before knocking. She suddenly opened it. It was a huge room with at least thirty beds. There were four people lying down on the beds. As soon as they saw me, they sat upright and stared. The people looking after them stopped doing what they were doing and looked over at us too.

"Princess Ellania! I nuy e dalb-" Sharian said before noticing me.

"He's injured. Can you patch him up in the private room."

"Yes. Sure."

We followed him into another separate room which had a large bed in the middle. Once we got inside, the man closed the door.

"Lie down," she told me. I took off my backpack letting Midnight free before lying onto the bed.

"This here is Sharian. He's very good with stuff like this. He'll have your leg fixed up in no time."

"Thanks," I told him.

"No problem."

After laying there patiently for a couple of minutes, he was finally finished. My leg was no longer in pain. It now had a white bandage over it.

"Thank you once again," I told him. "You're welcome. I'll call Princess Ellania back inside."I watched as he left the room. After a brief moment, Nia entered.

She walked over towards my bed and sat on it. "How does it feel?"

"That's the thing. I don't feel anything. What was that purple stuff he put on my leg?"

"It's a flower called Floresta. It heals wounds very quickly."

"Damn..." Where was that flower when I needed it?

I was glad the scars that I had on my leg were high up on my thigh. The thought of Nia ever knowing about them frightened me. It was a topic I didn't ever want to talk about.

"Ok, I guess I should start explaining. Um, I'm not human. We're not humans," she said.

"W-what?" What did she mean they weren't humans? What else could they be, aliens?

"We're Elves."


	8. Chapter 8

"Is this is a joke? I mean I've read several fantasy books before, but they're just fiction. Vampires, Werewolves, Elves, and stuff like that are all just purely fiction." Nia immediately gave me a bewildered look. She then started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

She shook her head before opening her mouth to respond. "Well, you humans are very... what's the word... faithless?"

"What do you mean? If someone went around telling their friends they believed in Vampires, they would instantly get laughed at and would probably have a total of zero friends by the end of the day. Believing in stuff like that is for children. Us adults know better."

"Do you really think you humans are the only things out there? Tell me something. Do you believe in Aliens?"

"Ok. There probably are Aliens out there but it's easier believing in them than Vampires, Elves and stuff."

"Is it really?" she asked me. I lay there thinking for a minute. Well, there was no proof aliens existed or any of these mythical creatures, but here I was talking to a girl who was telling me that Elves existed.

"Now that you know that Elves exist, hopefully you'll have a little more faith in us mythical creatures."

I chuckled softly still feeling very confused. "Um, so why did you come to the human side if you're not allowed?"

"Well, my father has forbidden the majority of us not to go to the human side. I'm not sure why though. I've tried asking him before because I am so curious! Life out here can be a bit boring sometimes. So I disobeyed and went to your side and immediately fell in love. The music, food, and places are incredible! I just wished my father could understand. It seems like he hates humans."

"How long have you been visiting our side?" I asked. "For two weeks. I am afraid that I will get caught though."

"Does anyone know?"

"Not at the moment, but I think my sister knows I'm up to something." I didn't get it. Our side was boring. There was nothing exciting about any of it. I looked down at her chest to see a necklace. It looked like it was worth at least one hundred thousand dollars.

"So you're a princess huh?"

"Yeah. When we're alone you can just call me Nia."

"Ok. Um, can you tell me a bit more about Elves?"

"Well, there's a lot to us. There are many different types of Elves but in our kingdom, which is called Aeriovdell, we are made up of only three types: Elemental Elves, Avariel Elves, and High Elves."

This sounded legitimate.

"A long time ago they lived separately, but today we are joined as one... well only three species anyway. Elemental Elves are divided into four different groups; Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Fire Elves are quite wild. They view fire as the source of life. Water Elves are not aquatic. When fighting they don't use weapons or armor. They simply just use water. They can flow through, over, and around their opponent. They can also merge together to create a great water elemental. There aren't that many air Elves living here but they're around. They hate staying inside and love playing with the wind. They're also tricksters too. And earth Elves are pretty much very dedicated to the earth. They're actually the only Elves that are allowed to go to the human side. They have an amazing knowledge of rocks, minerals, and plants. They also take very good care of our land and make sure it always stays green."

"This sounds pretty cool."

"Yeah I guess. And that's only the Elementals. Next, you have the Avariel Elves. They can fly. They're also split into two groups; the warriors and the scholars. The warriors spend their entire lives defending their race, but because they live amongst other types of Elves, they defend us all. And the scholars are pretty much scholars. They spend all of their time researching magic and worshiping their gods."

"They have wings? That's pretty dope."

"Yup. They very rarely walk. I mean there's no need to when you have wings."

"True. What about the High Elves?" I asked.

"Their psyche is mystical and logical. They're also warriors, but are quite emotional."

"Cool. And the other types. What are they?"

"There's a lot. There are Moon Elves, Sun Elves, Pixie Elves, Nyphms and Dryads, Seelies and Unseelies, Grey Elves, Wood Elves, Snow Elves, Aquatic Elves, and Dark Elves. None of them live here."

"Dang. This is so cool. I wasn't expecting there to be different types of Elves. I thought they were all the same."

"Yeah. We're all very different in our own way."

"What type of Elf are you?"

"My father is a High elf and my mother is an Avariel so my sister and I are both."

"Wait does that mean you have wings?!"

"Yup, but they're quite larger than a regular Avariel's wings."

"Wow..."

"Well, now that you know we exist, I'm not so sure my father will let you go back."

"Wait what?"

"He doesn't trust humans, so he probably won't let you go back. That's why you shouldn't have come. You might not be able to see your family any time soon."

To be honest, I wasn't mad or sad hearing that. There was nothing for me back on the human side. I had no family left and I had no home. This place seemed pretty cool and I already knew I stayed, I would have loads of fun here.

"Um... I don't really have a family..."

"What?"

"My parents died in a plane crash when I was eighteen."

"Oh no. I am so sorry."

"It's fine. It is what it is."

"Do you live with your relatives?"

"I ran away from an orphanage... so no. I don't exactly live anywhere at the moment," I lied. An orphanage sounded better than an abusive guardian.

"Wow, I am so sorry Xirus. Don't worry though. You are more than welcomed to stay here. I know my father will be irritated at first, but there's no way I am letting you go back to the human side just to live on the streets alone. This will be your new home," she said before placing her hand on mine.

I instantly flinched moving my hand away from hers. She looked quite surprised as she quickly moved her hand away. "Uh, sorry..."

I then looked up at her face No one had ever been this nice to me. It made me fearful actually. Was she being truthful? Did she actually want me to live here?

She suddenly reached out and unwrapped the white cloth from my leg. "It's completely healed now so you don't have to wear this anymore."

I looked down to see no bruise. The pain was really gone. This was crazy but awesome.

"Come on, let's go and talk to my father."


	9. Chapter 9

"Why are you here?" the king asked me.

"I don't even know. I was in a cave and then I suddenly saw light peeking in between the rocks. I pulled them away and squeezed myself through the opening and then fell down a hill."

"Do you have any weapons or harmful devices on you?"

"I have a knife for self-defense, my phone, and other stuff. None of them is harmful; well except for the knife." The king gave me a weird look. "I promise I'm not dangerous. I was just looking for a place to stay... you can look through my bag if you want."

"That won't be necessary," Nia told me. "Nia- I mean Princess Ellania... if your father wants to see what's in my bag, I would be more than happy to show him."

"It's fine, Xirus," she reassuringly told me. "Father. He has no family and is homeless. We should let him stay. I know we've never had a human living here before, but please! He's all alone!" she pleaded the king.

"Ellania! How do we know he's not a threat? Or a spy? We don't even know him! How do we know we can trust him?" he exclaimed.

I swallowed slowly feeling a bit fearful of hearing the king raise his voice. "That's the thing. We don't know, but I have a feeling about him. He seems like a nice person and what if he can be very helpful?"

King Klaern sighed before looking at me and then at his daughter. "Ellania. Everyone seems like a nice person to you. I will have to speak to the council and your mother before making a decision. In the meantime, get him some food. He must be hungry."

"Thank you father," she responded. She suddenly bowed her head to him before turning around to leave. I stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds before bowing to the king too and quickly following Nia.

"Are you hungry?" she immediately asked me as soon as we both exited the throne room. "Nia... are you sure your father is ok with me staying here?" He didn't seem happy at all. I could just imagine him saying no.

Nia stopped walking to turn around and look at me. "Yes, Xirus. Everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about," she said. "So are you hungry or not?"

"Um, not really," I lied. "I can eat later or something..."

"Liar. You're probably starving," she responded.

I frowned a bit knowing that I was in fact really hungry, but I didn't want her to take care of me. I didn't want to be her burden ."No, I am serious. I am not-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because my belly let out a loud rumble causing both of our eyes to widen.

I stared at Nia to see her chuckle. "Yeah, even though you're saying you're not that hungry, your belly is proving otherwise." I softly smiled realizing there was no more hiding. "Come on, follow me," she said.

I followed Nia down the hallway. I took this time to look at the inside of the castle. It was quite fascinating. There were huge, tall glass windows that were located in almost every room we walked by. The chandeliers were massive and the diamonds looked real. There were portraits of people who I assumed were apart of the royal family. There were also guards everywhere. They gave me weird looks as I closely followed Nia.

When we had suddenly stopped, Nia opened two tall doors. When we stepped inside the room, the first thing I noticed was the number of long tables joined together. At the front of the room were four big chairs coated with gold. The room was ginormously big. It could easily fit a lot of people. It was probably a party room.

"How many elves live here?" I asked Nia out of curiosity. "Around three thousand," she responded.

Three thousand? That was a lot! She lead me towards a table. "Sit here! I'll be right back." And with that, she disappeared out of the room.

I sat there in silence as I took in my surroundings. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud heard a purring sound.

"Oh Midnight," I exclaimed as I took her out of my backpack. She licked my hand before lying down on the table. 

"I forgot to ask Nia to bring you food too. You can share with me, don't worry."

Nia returned in under ten minutes. She wasn't alone. As she walked towards me, I could see four elves following her holding plates of food. When they had finally reached where I was sitting, they immediately set the golden plates on the table.

I instantly thanked them. Once the lids were removed, my jaw dropped as I stared at the food in front of me. There were plates of fish, salad, bread, and fruits. It looked delicious. There was also a plate of cooked turkey.

"Geez, um thanks," I finally responded. 

The four elves left leaving Nia, Midnight, and I all alone. "This is a lot of food," I said. "Yeah, it is. Eat as much as you want," she exclaimed.

I began to dig in tasting the fried fish first. "Oh, and the turkey is for Midnight," Nia added. She finally sat down in front of me and pushed the turkey plate towards Midnight. The cat immediately buried her head into the plate and started nibbling away.

I sighed in satisfaction as I ate. The food was very delicious and I was starving. "Take your time, Xirus. There's no need to rush," I heard Nia say.

I tried my best to slow down as I continued eating the tasty food. While I was eating, an Elf came to us with a tall glass of water. By the time I was finished, my stomach felt swollen. I let out a burp which caused Nia to start laughing.

"Sorry, um. I really enjoyed that. Thank you," I told her. "No problem. I am glad you did. And look, you ate everything," she exclaimed.

I looked down to look at the plates to see that they were all empty. Not a single crumb was left. Midnight had also finished her turkey as she lay there on her back licking her paw.

"Alright, now that you're no longer hungry, I'll show you your room."


	10. Chapter 10

I followed Nia up a long spiral staircase. As we were going up the stairs, I couldn't help but stare at the chandelier hanging in the middle. It was much different than the other ones I had seen. It was five times bigger and it had more diamonds.

Once we got to the top, Nia immediately turned right. We walked down a wide hallway that had many doors. The doors weren't placed right next to each other but were rather far apart. I assumed they were all bedrooms.

We continued walking until we reached one of the doors located near the middle. "This will be your room," she said. She then opened it to reveal the inside.

"Wow," I exclaimed. I was immediately greeted by a king-size bed with dark red silk sheets and pillows. There were large windows located at the back of the room. There were also couches, plants, a piano, and other things.

"Come on, I'll show you around." We walked towards the doors located next to my bed. "This is your storage room. You can put whatever you want in here. I know you don't have many things, but it's there anyway."

I looked inside to see a room with cupboards for storage. It was true. I literally didn't have that many belongings so I probably wasn't going to use it.

"This is your kitchen," she said before opening another door. Inside was everything that you would expect to be in a kitchen. A fridge, stove, freezer, and just stuff. "The fridge is currently empty, but don't worry. It'll be full in no time."

She moved away from the kitchen leaving me standing there in shock. A kitchen? In my room? I was not expecting this.

"Over here is your walk-in closet!" I left the kitchen and walked towards Nia. The closet was massive. "It already has clothing that's not worn yet. Their yours now. Hopefully, they're stylish enough for you," she said with a smile. I smiled back realizing that I wasn't really a stylish guy. I just wore clothing.

Next, we moved on to the bathroom. "It has a large shower, two bathtubs, four sinks, two toilets, and a lot of storage. It also has towels, toothbrushes and other stuff that you would need."

"Thank you," I told her. I was a bit overwhelmed. I had never seen anything more luxurious than this before. "You're welcome," she responded.

We then both exited the bathroom. "And the last final room here is a room that I know you'll like a lot."

I was confused but followed her anyways. As soon as the door opened, my mouth dropped. There were weights, a treadmill, a cage, and a bicycle.

"Here is your own little gym. It doesn't have a lot, but you can just tell me what else you want and I will get it for you. I know you like that punching thingy so I'll make sure I get that for you."

I laughed after hearing what she had called a punching bag. "Damn, thanks a lot. I mean, are you sure this isn't a bit too much? I can share a room with someone else or live in the attic or something."

"It's fine Xirus! I want you to stay here. We never really have guests, especially humans, and you're my friend. I want to make sure you are looked after and that you have everything that you need. You deserve the best of the best."

"Thanks, Nia." I was truly grateful. I had never in my life been treated like this. I felt like royalty.

After exiting the gym, Nia walked towards the door. "Anyways, you can settle down for a bit, explore your room, and have a nap or something. I'll be back in two and a half hours."

After she had left, I walked towards the middle of the room and stood there feeling shocked. This was incredible. I was beyond happy that I had a place to stay. Nia was so kind.

"Meow," Midnight purred as she walked towards me. "You like it too, huh?" I then walked to my bed and placed my hand on the silk sheets. It was so smooth. I didn't even want to ruin it, but my tired body demanded to lie down. I swiftly took off my sweater and t-shirt, leaving me shirtless. I fell back onto my bed feeling my body immediately sink into it. It was so soft.

The bed I had slept on before was very hard. Midnight jumped onto the bed next to me. I was very tired but didn't want to fall asleep. I know I didn't get a nightmare the last time I had slept, but that didn't mean I wouldn't get a nightmare now. I turned to my side and watched Midnight slowly fall asleep. After ensuring that she was sleeping, I then turned onto my stomach and rested my head against my arms. Before I knew it, I was greeted by complete darkness.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?!" Jason yelled as I laid there on the floor of the living room. I watched as his wife handed him the baseball bat.

"PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!" I yelled at him.

"SHUTUP!" He then started hitting me violently with the baseball bat. I could hear both his kids and his wife laugh as they watched me getting tortured.

I awoke in fear, sitting up from my lying down position. My breathing heavy as I felt beads of sweat drip down my back, chest, and forehead. I looked down to see Midnight still peacefully sleeping as I watched her small body move up and down from her steady breathing. 

I then looked around remembering where I was. I checked the alarm that was sitting on the left bedside table looking at the time. It was currently 2 pm. I still had thirty minutes left til Nia would be here. After using the bathroom, I decided to unpack my bag.

I removed my sweaters, pants, t-shirts, shorts, and beanies out of my bag. I quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt. After I took the other clothing and walked towards the big walk-in-closet. After turning on the light, I placed them on the nearest empty shelf.

Just as I was about to leave, I stopped myself. Turning back, I walked towards the back of the closet looking at the male clothing that was already there. The hangers were made out of branches. I moved them away from each other to get a closer look. There were shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, and pants. There was also clothing that I wasn't familiar with.

After turning off the light, I exited the closet returning back to the bed to look into my almost empty bag. After taking out my toothbrush, hand sanitizer, first aid kit, and lotion, I placed them in their appropriate spots in the bathroom.

All that was left in my bag was my wallet and money. I didn't want to take them out, so I zipped up my bad and shoved it underneath my bed. I then took out my phone from my pocket to see that the time was 9:20 am. I looked back at the alarm on one of the bedside tables and saw that its time was 2:20 pm.

I had never really traveled before, except that time when I had to travel to go live with Jason and his family, but I remember my phone automatically changing its time according to the zone we were in. As I looked at my phone, I couldn't help but think how weird it was that it didn't recognize this location.

I then turned off my phone knowing there was no need to use it or have it on. After putting it in one of the drawers beside the bed, I took out my parent's picture from the back pocket my pants that I was wearing before. It was still a bit wet.

I stood there wondering how I got here. I knew everything happened for a reason, but I didn't understand the reason behind the abuse I had received. Did that also mean that if my parents would have never died and I would have never moved, that I wouldn't have ever met Nia, or realize that Elves do exist, and perhaps come to this place?

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door. "Xirus?" I heard Nia call from outside the room. "Coming," I responded.

I turned my head to look at Midnight to see that she was now awake. I then walked towards the door and opened it. Nia was no longer in a dress, but instead a cool looking outfit.

"You ready?" she asked me. "Yup," I responded.

"Well come on! I have so much to show you!"


	11. Chapter 11

I left Midnight in the room seeing that she was still a bit sleepy. As soon as we got outside, Nia turned around to look at me. 

"What is it?" I asked her.

"You might want to hold on tightly to my hand," she said. Huh? I looked down at her hand in confusion and then back up at her face.

"Why?"

"Just do it," she insisted.

I sighed before taking a step forward. I felt hesitant at first as I stood there staring at her hand. I finally put my hand in hers. It felt warm and soft. Then, all of a sudden, it was like a strong piece of rope pulled me up into the air. My eyes widened in shock as I yelled in surprise.

"AHHHH!" I screeched. I looked up at Nia to see her smiling. I then noticed these weird things flapping behind her. They were her wings! They were huge! They were white! We were flying!

I felt fearful not even wanting to look down. "YOU DIDN'T TELL ME WE WERE GOING TO FLY!!" I shouted.

"SORRY! I DIDN'T I KNOW HAD TO!"

I continued staring at her in shock after hearing her say that. Was this girl crazy? I felt like I was about to have a heart attack. I kept my eyes closed the entire time we were up in the air. When we had finally reached our destination, she flew towards the ground. When she let go of me, instead of my legs holding me up, my whole body turned into jelly and I fell flat on my face.

"Oh no!" I heard Nia gasp. I remained on the ground with my face on the grass feeling very dizzy. "Are you ok?" she asked me sounding very concerned.

"J-just give me a couple of s-seconds," I stammered. When I finally stopped seeing stars, I stood up. "Where are we?" I asked her. We were currently standing in front of a forest. In front of us was a pathway that led to a curtain of leaves. "What's behind there?"

"You'll have to see for yourself," she said. She started to walk away from me and towards the curtain of leaves. I followed immediately not knowing what to expect. When we both finally reached the curtain, she reached her hand out to move it away. I then stepped inside with widened eyes. There were at least one thousand Elves training. It was like an open field just for training.

I immediately noticed the Elemental Elves as they trained with their elements. I watched the Water Elves mold together to create a wave of water. The water slid onto the ground in a fast motion before the Elves formed back into their regular forms on the other side.

"Woah," I sighed as I moved my eyes away from them to look at the Air Elves.

I watched as they fought each other with swords. My eyes couldn't keep up with their fast movements as they moved like the wind. The clashing sound of their metal hitting and scraping against each other was loud but quite satisfying.

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of flames. I looked at the very far back to see a group of fire Elves shooting arrows at targets. I stared at this one female Fire Elf. As soon as she released the thin arrow, it turned into fire. It hit the target causing it to immediately burst into flames. She suddenly turned to look at me.

I stepped back feeling very fearful. Her eyes were gold. I swallowed slowly moving my eyes away from her.

"In the middle are the High Elves," Nia exclaimed. Their long hair swiftly moved as they jumped in the air. These Elves were slimmer than the other ones but were strong. They were very good. I could tell they had been training for years.

"And over there are the Avariel Elves." We continued walking until we were stood directly in front of them. I watched as they fought each other in the air. Their wings were big, but not as big as Nia's wings. They were brown and black. There were only a few of them that had white wings. They also had swords in their hands. This was so cool.

"Ok, moving along," Nia said. We exited through another curtain of leaves. As we walked away from the training field, I was still in shock.

"They're good. Like really good," I told Nia. "Yup. We've been training ever since we were five years old."

"Five?" I asked her feeling surprised. "That's so young!"

"Not for an Elf," she laughed. "Come! I have to show you something else!"

She dragged me away as we began to run. "WHERE ARE WE GOING?" I asked her.

"JUST FOLLOW ME!"

We continued running. I felt like a little child. I couldn't stop smiling as I followed Nia. For once I felt happy and excited.

When we had finally stopped, I looked around to look at where we were. We were in the middle of a forest. "Before I show you what I want to show you, let's grab a snack."

She suddenly flew up into the trees leaving me standing there by myself. "Catch!" she exclaimed moments later. I looked up seeing a huge orange ball fall straight towards me.

I quickly caught it not expecting it to be really big. It was massive. It was also a fruit that I had never seen before.

I continued staring at it as Nia flew back down and landed next to me. "These are called Fujuncthas. They are very sweet."

"Do I just bite into it?" I asked. "Before eating it, you need to cleanse it with Saleau."

"With what?"

She walked away from me and towards a nearby tree. There was a huge curled up green leaf. Nia touched the tip of the leaf and it opened slowly. I looked inside to see a pool of a clear liquid which I assumed was water. I watched as Nia pulled the leaf down causing the water-like liquid to pour over the Fujunctha she was holding. She then bit into the fruit causing its juice to drip onto her chin.

The fruit looked so good as she chewed. "Look, there's a leaf over there." I turned around to look at where she was pointing. I copied Nia and touched the tip of the leaf. It immediately opened. I then pulled it down and watched as it poured over the fruit.

I slowly opened my mouth as I bit into the fruit. I had no idea what to expect. "So... how is it?" Nia asked. 

It tasted absolutely wonderful. It was nothing compared to the fruits I knew like strawberries, oranges, mangoes, or even pineapples. Its taste was divine. I felt the honey-like juice drip down my chin as I chewed causing me to quickly wipe it with the back of my hand. "It's good," I finally said.

Nia smiled before flying back up into the trees. She came back down with three more Fujuncthas. After cleansing them with Saleau, she told me to close my eyes.

"Why?"

"Just close your eyes, Xirus," she exclaimed. I sighed before closing my eyes. I suddenly felt her warm hand slip into mine. I winced at first feeling frightened by her touch for the third time. She slowly began to remove her hand from mine.

I held onto her hand preventing her from letting go. I didn't want her asking questions. I needed to learn to not be frightened by her touch. She was only trying to be nice.

"It's close by. Don't worry." So she began to lead me wherever it was where we were going. I heard sounds. I heard the birds as they chirped in the trees. I also heard the wind. It sounded so alive as it softly whistled. 

We suddenly stopped. "Ok you can open your eyes now," she said. I slowly opened my eyes to see a view that completely blew me away. 

"This is Aeriodvell!"

The sight was amazing. The castle stood there in a distance with crystal clear water flowing out from it creating a river. I noticed the large mountains as they stood behind the castle. The greenery was ever so vibrant. I could tell that the Earth Elves took very good care of it. The sky was now blue and the clouds were white.

"It looks like paradise. I've never seen anything more wonderful."

"Yeah, it really is a beautiful place."

Nia took a seat on the grass and I followed. All of a sudden, I saw something moving in the sky that caught my attention. "Is t-that a..."

"Yes, there are dragons here. They are our best friends," Nia told me. Best friends? Weren't they viscous?

"Haha," I laughed. Just a couple of days ago, I was complaining about work and now I am here talking to an elf and looking at a dragon. "Aw don't worry! They're not dangerous," Nia said.

"Ok."

As I sat there, I felt this weird sensation feel my body. I felt tingly. In my heart, I knew I had finally arrived. Arrived where? I wasn't sure, but I knew that the things to come would completely change my life and I was ready. 

Ready for the change.


	12. Chapter 12

Sunday, June 23

Today was Sunday, June 23rd. It had only been two and a half days since I had entered the cave. Nia wanted me to make friends, but I still didn't really feel comfortable.

I had no idea if King Klaern was going to let me stay. I didn't want to get too comfortable not knowing for sure if I was going to stay permanently or not.

I really wanted to though. Aeriodvell was absolutely beautiful. It made it easier for me to not think about Jason and my past. If I ended up staying here, I was never going back. There would no need to. Everything was so much better here. The food, environment, and even the people. I knew everyone was judging me and possibly wasn't comfortable with me being here, but at least they weren't mean and minded their own business.

Now Othorion was a whole other story. He hated me. I wasn't even sure why. Maybe it was because he disliked me being around Nia or if he just had a serious problem.

It was obvious he had a thing for her. I wasn't going steal Nia away from him. I didn't even like her like that. We were only just friends.

"Xirus!" I heard her call out from outside my room. "Yes?" I answered. "My father has finally made a decision!"

"Oh ok. Coming!"

I quickly threw on a shirt, before walking towards the door. "Midnight, let's go!" She instantly got up from her lying position and followed me to the door. I opened it to see Nia standing there.

"Ready?" she asked as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Yeah, are you? You seem anxious," I told her. "I think I know what the decision will be, but I'm still a bit nervous," she said.

"Don't be. If the answer is no, it's fine."

"No! It won't be fine. I wouldn't allow it. Come on, let's go." I watched Nia as she turned around to walk towards the end of the hall. I smiled as I closed my room door to follow Midnight, who was currently going after Nia.

Once we had arrived at the same location I first saw the king and queen two days ago, I began to feel nervous. A crowd of Elves had joined us as they stood in front of the king and queen leaving space for Nia and me to stand. I looked at Othorion who was standing nearby. He looked pissed.

Behind the King and Queen were six other elves. A Fire Elf, Water Elf, Air Elf, Earth Elf, an Avariel Elf, and a High Elf. I assumed they were the council.

"So I have spoken to the council and we've come to an agreement," King Klaern exclaimed. I gulped very slowly feeling uneasy. "The council and I have decided to let you stay." Immediately my uneasiness disappeared. I looked at Nia to see her smiling. Her sister and mother both seemed a bit cheerful too.

"Thank you, King Klaern," I exclaimed out of gratitude. I stepped back to bow. When I had gotten up, I noticed right away that Othorion had disappeared.

"Elves of Aeriodvell! This is Xirus! He is a human without a family and he will be living here from now on. Please welcome him."

I heard gasps and sighs from the army of Elves behind us. I slowly turned around to see everyone staring at me. Some of them gave me dirty looks while others just stared at me with curiosity.

"This is your new home now," Nia said. "Yeah, I guess it is," I responded.

-

"Alright! I have someone you need to meet," Nia exclaimed to me. We had just finished eating lunch and were heading out of the castle. "You do?" I asked her.

"Yup. I think you two will become great friends."

"Um ok," I responded. I only had one friend, who was her. I didn't really know how to make friends.

"Xirus. You're a pretty cool person. Who wouldn't want to be your friend?"

I continued following her out of the castle thinking about the friends I had had before my parents died. They were cool. I remember feeling very sad to leave them behind. Yes, I had their contacts, but I didn't really want to keep in touch. It was a reminder of the past which I wanted to forget.

"Alright, he should be here any second now," Nia exclaimed while looking around. We were standing not that far away from the castle. I began to look around too. I was curious about this person. I wondered what type of Elf they were. An Elemental, Avariel, or High Elf.

Suddenly, out of a nowhere a tall Elf appeared. He had dark red hair and his skin was a copper brown. "Hey!" Nia exclaimed.

"Hi," he responded back. "This here is Xirus! Xirus meet Dior."

I stretched out my hand to shake his. "Nice to meet you," I said. "Likewise," he responded while shaking my head. I could tell right away that he was a Fire Elf.

"You guys have plenty of time to talk later, but now we have to get going."

"Where?"

"To the Dragon's Den!"


	13. Chapter 13

"So... what is this Dragon Den like?" I asked both Nia and Dior. "Well, it's pretty cool," Dior exclaimed. I only just realized that he was speaking English.

"Does everyone speak English here?"

"Not everyone. It's up to the person. Dior and I wanted to learn English so we did. My parents and sister can also speak English. I would say roughly around five hundred of us can speak it," Nia explained.

"Dang. What's your native language called?"

"Oh, it's called Eisdarin. We have many languages that we speak, but that's our main one," Nia responded.

"Cool."

"Alright. The Dragon's Den is quite a distance, and I can't just carry you guys there, so we'll be taking horses," Nia exclaimed. We followed her around the back of the castle. We were soon greeted by a stable. Not just any stable. This stable was ginormous. There were at least one thousand horses.

"You can pick any horse," Nia told me.

"Um..." I didn't know how to ride a horse. Nia looked at me with a confused face for a couple of seconds. "Oh yeah! Alright, we'll have to teach you how to ride a horse. For now, you can ride with me."

Dior disappeared leaving Nia, Midnight, and me standing there. "I'll be right back," she said before also disappearing. Moments later, Dior suddenly reappeared with a white horse. 

"This is Lightning. She's one of the fastest horses we have." I slowly walked over towards Dior and Lightning. As I stood in front of her, I hesitantly reached my hand out to touch her. Once I felt the palm of my hand touch her smooth silky skin, I closed my eyes. Her heartbeat sounded slow and steady. Her breathing like a short gust of wind.

I opened my eyes to see Nia appear from out of the stable. She was seated on Chestnut as they approached us slowly. "You can ride with me. Hop on." So I picked up Midnight and placed her in the sachel that sat over Chestnut's back. I then pulled myself up.

"Ready?" Nia asked me.

Before I could even respond, we were moving. We followed Dior and Lightning as we galloped through Aeriodvell. We rode fast. It was already windy but seemed even windier as we rode.

It was probably around 4 pm when we had finally stopped. "We get off here and walk the rest," Dior said. "We never bring the horses too close."

To be honest, I wasn't fearful to see the dragons. I was more excited than ever. As a kid, I was obsessed with dragons. I had at least ten different dragon toys, I had a dragon-themed room, and only used my dragon cups, plates, and utensils. I even had a dragon towel and a dragon stuffed animal that I couldn't go to sleep without. I was convinced they were real. By the age of thirteen, I stopped believing. I had grown out of my dragon phase. It felt weird knowing that they actually existed. 

"Can Midnight come too?"

"Yeah sure, I'll keep her with me though. These dragons will literally eat anything except for us." I began to feel very anxious as we began walking.

"How many different types of dragons do you have?" I asked.

"Well, there are many different types but we have eight. We have the Elementals; Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, The Acids, The Storms, The Echoes, and The Hybrids." My mouth dropped. This was so cool.

"We have one Elf who is in charge of each species. Dior is the guardian of the Fire Dragons." Dior nodded in agreement. "That's dope," I said.

"Dope?" Dior repeated looking confused. "Dope basically means cool," I told him.

"Interesting," Dior said.

After a moment of silence, I opened my mouth to ask another question.

"Are any of them dangerous?"

"They're all very dangerous when they defend, but The Hybrid Dragons are by far the most dangerous," Nia answered. " They're a combination of all the seven other dragons. They don't even have a guardian. It would be a huge risk so we don't go anywhere near them. They stay hidden in their cave. The last time someone saw them was five-hundred years ago. It was my mother's sister."

Wait. Her aunt was alive five-hundred years ago? How does that even make sense?

"We don't age like you do," Dior said."I am 2371 years old and Nia is 2089 years old." My eyes widened."You can read my mind?"

"No, I could easily tell what you were thinking," he laughed.

"Do you ever die?"

"Yes, eventually. Probably somewhere very far down in the future," Dior said.

"I'll be long gone by then," I chuckled.

"Yeah," they both in sync. We had finally stopped. We were currently standing in front of a dark cave-like hallway. "Alright, we're here."

Dior immediately snapped his fingers which caused a medium-sized flame to burn above the tip of his left thumb giving us light to see where we were going. Once we had reached the other end, we entered the den. It was massive. There was just a huge open space with eight large cave openings. The first one was located to our immediate left and it illuminated a bright blue light. The one next to it orange, then green, and grey.

The one across from us illuminated a silver colour, next to it a beam of the rainbow, then the next one a dark purple. The one to our immediate right was pitch black. "I assume that one is the Hybrid's den."

"Yes, it is. Now watch this," Nia whispered while pointing at Dior. He had just entered the cave with the orange light. I didn't even notice him leave us. "What is he doing?" I asked.

"He's bringing one out to show you."

Midnight started to purr. I could tell that she wanted to be released from Nia's arms. "You know what? I'll just cast a protection bubble over you so you can go wherever you want," she told Midnight.

Suddenly, Nia let go of Midnight and she immediately dashed away from us. Then Nia said some strange words causing her eyes to glow a bright white. I looked at Midnight to see a thin bubble appear over her as she ran away from us. "When we're ready to head back, I'll call her. That bubble prevents her from getting hurt."

"Is that magic?"

Nia laughed. "Something like that," she replied.

Then out of nowhere, I saw something big and orange from the corner of my eyes. I saw it. A dragon. It slowly emerged out of the cave with Dior walking next to it. As it approached us, I remained completely still. It was massive. "Don't worry. He won't hurt you." I looked at its eyes. They were an icy blue. Each scale on its body looked different. 

"It's incredible," I finally said. Suddenly the dragon caught on fire. Its whole body was covered in a flame. Moments later, the fire subsided.

"H-how did it do that?" I asked. "These Dragons can do a lot of things. Our minds are connected. I can communicate with every Fire Dragon."

"So every Fire Elf can communicate with every Fire Dragon?"

"No, only their guardian can."

"And can it breathe out fire too?" Dior turned to look back at the dragon. It suddenly craned its neck up. Fire escaped out of its mouth and into the air. It traveled up and high. I was amazed.

"You will get to see the other Dragons during Protection Day."


	14. Chapter 14

Sunday, June 30

Today was protection day. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was anticipated to see what it was all about.

After breakfast, I followed Dior with many others as we made our way towards the Dragon's Den. Instead of going down the route I went with Dior and Nia last week, our horses followed the others in an upward path.

Dior showed me how to ride a horse three days ago. It wasn't hard at all and it was really fun.

When we arrived at the very top, we put our horses in a stable. I watched as the Avariel Elves flew over the large brick wall while those without wings entered the doorway.

As soon as we entered, I realized that we were above the den. There were seats available for everyone. It reminded me of a football game.

"I have to go down there, so you can sit with Kai. He's pretty dope," Dior said. I chucked before placing out my knuckle to fist bump Dior. He smiled before looking down at my hand with a confused facial expression.

"Just close your hand into a fist and bump me." Dior hesitantly listened. I laughed again as I watched him leave. I then turned around looking for Kai.

"Over here Xirus!" I heard a guy yell. I looked over to see a tall Elf with blue hair. He was probably a Water Elf. "Hey, I'm Kai. Dior has told me so much about you," he said.

"Hopefully only good things," I said.

"Yeah he said you were dope," he responded. I laughed again realizing that these elves were hilarious. "You can sit here. They're about to start," he said.

After taking a seat next to him, I looked down at the Dragon's den to see Elves. They all entered the caves; three in each. I then moved my eyes to look at the Elves seated around me.

Some of them were looking at me weirdly but the majority of them were talking to each other and looking down into the den.

I turned back around to see the Elves walk back out of the caves. They were holding something. Then one by one, I saw Dragons exit the cave as they followed the Elves. They all made their way towards the middle of the den. I got up with a gasp.

The Water Dragons looked fierce. Their icy blue bodies dripped with water as they moved from out of the cave. The Earth Dragons had spikes along their backs ranging from different colours like yellow and orange. They also had spikey horns on their heads. In fact, all of these Dragons had horns on their heads. The colour of the Wind Dragons was a cool grey. The Storm Dragons were silver. Their head, feet, and tails were surrounded by shocks of lightning bolts. "Can they breathe out lightning?" I asked Kai.

"Yeah. It's pretty fascinating."

I continued staring at these creatures. The Acids caught my attention next. They were dark green and purple. "What about the Acids? What do they breathe out?"

"The Acids literally breathe out acid. When their acid touches flesh, it immediately burns it."

My eyes slowly made their way towards a group of dark blue and magenta coloured Dragons. "Those are the Echoes. Their high pitch sounds can be heard two- thousand miles away. If you listen to its sound for too long, you can die," Kai said.

My eyes moved over to Dior who put whatever he had in his hands onto the ground. In fact, there were several circles made out of rocks placed on the ground. The other Elves placed the thing in their hands into the middle of the circles as well.

"What was in their hands?" I asked Kai. "Oh, they're baby Dragons. Protection day is when we cast protection spells on the hatchlings."

It was very interesting. The things Elves did. It was far more interesting than anything on the human side. I still couldn't believe that I was here, that Elves were real, that Dragons actually existed.

Suddenly I saw a sparkly array of dust shoot out from the Elves hands and onto the baby Dragons. After a spell was cast onto each baby Dragon, the Elves seated around me stood up immediately and began to clap loudly while shouting with excitement.

Kai began to holler and whistle. I stood up too and clapped softly. After the clapping had died down, everyone remained standing up. "Is that it?" I asked Kai.

"Almost. Now they have to check their breathing," he responded.

I watched as the mother Dragons bent their heads to their young ones and nudged them. One of the baby Echoes opened its mouth and let out a tiny shriek. I quickly placed my hands onto my ears not wanting to die.

"Xirus, there's no need to cover your ears. Their tiny echoes won't do any you harm."

As I slowly removed my hands from my ears, I heard some Elves around me laugh. I felt a tinge of embarrassment.

After they had finished casting protection spells, we walked back towards our horses. As the Elves chattered in what I assumed was Eisdarin, I began to hear English.

I wasn't surprised because Nia told me that some of them did speak it, rather I was surprised at what they had said.

"Is he the one? The man who will be transformed?"

"No of course not. King Klaern has already chosen Othorion."

As we arrived at the stable, Kai and I both walked towards our horses. When we got to them, I stood there thinking about what I had just heard.

I knew they were talking about me, but I had no idea what they were talking about. What did they mean by "the man who will be transformed"?

"You ok Xirus?" Kai asked me which caused my thoughts to be interrupted.

"Yeah, I'm good."


	15. Chapter 15

Sunday, July 14

The next couple of weeks went by so fast. I spent all of my time with Dior, Kai, Carnelian, who was an Earth Elf, and Palinourus, who was a Wind Elf, who I both met on Protection Day. They seemed to all be best friends so I felt blessed that they had invited me into their small circle. 

I hung out with Nia a couple of times. When we were together though, she would have to leave early because of Othorion. 

I finally got to meet Nia's sister, Elora. She was very friendly.

I was currently getting ready to go hunting with the guys. We had gone three times already. They made it look so easy.

I never took Midnight with me whenever we went hunting, but she was always with Nia anyways. I was pretty sure she liked her more than me. I was quite surprised she hadn't scratched me again.

After I was finished getting ready, making sure I had with me my bow and arrows, I exited my room and traveled out of the castle. As soon as I got outside, I saw Othorion. To my surprise, he was entering as I was exiting.

I looked at him to see that he had on a straight face. He walked right past me without looking or acknowledging me. It was like I wasn't even there.

One day I was going to confront this guy and put him in his place. I wasn't leaving anytime soon, so he would have to learn to man up.

I walked around to the back of the castle to see Dior, Kai, Carnelian, and Palinourus in front of the stable. They were getting on their horses.

"If it isn't the man himself," Kai exclaimed. I fist-bumped all of them before getting on my horse. 

"You ready?" Dior asked me.

"Yes. Let's go get some meat."

We galloped away to one of the best hunting grounds in all of Aeriodvell. The boys helped me practice my hunting at Millstone Field and Frosthord forest. When we had finally gotten to our destination, we got off of our horses leaving them in front of Dalhurst Forest. 

They hunted with bows and arrows, daggers, and spears. They were so good at hunting. I had never seen people hunt before them, but I knew they were the best of the best.

They did it so swiftly making sure to leave no trace that they were ever even there. These Elves didn't even look like they were strong which made no sense to me. Despite that, they were very strong. They were also very tall and slim. Significantly taller than me; I was 6'2" and they were around 6'6". 

When we entered the forest, we split up. I went with Dior and Kai went Carnelian and Palinourus.

"Deer are very smart. They can see us and sense us, so we must be quiet and swift," Dior said.

We finally stopped and crouched behind a large tree bark. "Do you see them?" Dior asked me. I peeked my head up a bit to see two deers. I then lowered my head back. "Yes."

"I'll take out the one on the right, you take out the one on the left."

We got up a bit gripping our weapons. Dior twisted the dagger in his hand as he stared at his prey with piercing eyes.

I took out my arrow from my quiver and placed in my bow. Then, Dior began to countdown very slowly. "Three, two, one."

Dior threw his dagger as I shot my arrow. Our weapons had plunged into their hearts. The animals groaned before falling onto the ground.

"Nice one," he said before fist-bumping me.

We walked towards the animals and removed our arrow and dagger. After cleansing our weapons with the water from the leaves, we picked them up and carried them to our horses. To my surprise, Kai, Carnelian, and Palinourus were already there.

"How was he?" they asked Dior. "Instant shot. Boom."

After strapping our meat to the horses' backs, we rode back to Palinourus' house. Dior created a fire outside allowing us to roast our meat.

"Try this sauce," Carnelian said before giving me a leaf cup that held a brown liquid.

"What is it?"

"It's a nutty sauce. It tastes amazing with deer."

I poured it over my plate then picked up a piece putting it in my mouth. "It's delicious."

We spent around two hours just eating and talking. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. I felt like I was out of their league, but they still included me.

After dropping my horse back into the stable, I walked towards the front of the castle. As I turned the corner, I noticed Nia walking out of the castle. 

"Hey!" I exclaimed. She turned around to see me walking towards her. Immediately a smile appeared on her face. "Hey, Xirus! How's it going?"

"Pretty good. I went hunting with the guys today. It was pretty fun," I responded. "That's cool. I'm glad you've made some friends," she said.

"Yeah me too."

We stared at each other for a brief moment, before I opened my mouth to ask her my dying question.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Well, on Protection Day I overheard these Elves talking about something," I said. She looked at me with a curious face. "They were wondering if I was 'the one' who will be transformed. Then one of them said no, the King has already chosen Othorion. Do you know what they were talking about?" I asked her.

Nia's eyes widened. "Um... yeah but it's nothing you need to worry about," she quickly responded.

"But they were talking about me. I think I have the right to know what they were talking about," I firmly said.

"Xirus, trust me. You don't need to know about it. It's better if you don't know," she said with a gloomy face. 

She then turned around and walked away. What the hell? I needed to know what they were talking about. If she wasn't going to tell me, that was fine. I was going to find out on my own. Hopefully, the guys could help me out.


	16. Chapter 16

Tuesday, July 15

"Hey, guys. I've been meaning to ask you something," I said to the boys. We were currently skipping rocks against Jade lake. It was around 8 pm.

"Go ahead," Palinourous said. "Ok. On Protection Day, while Kai and I were walking back to the stable, I overheard some Elves talking. I understood immediately because they were speaking in English. They mentioned something about me being the man who will be transformed, but then they said Othorion was already chosen by the King. What did they mean by that?" I asked them.

Dior and Kai immediately looked at each other while Palinourus and Carnelian just twisted their mouths as fixed their gaze back onto the lake.

"Well..." Dior started to say. "I don't feel like it's our place to tell you."

"Yeah, I feel like Ellania should tell you or the King," Carnelian said.

"Nia refuses to tell me anything. And I don't think I can just go up to the king casually and just ask him that," I responded.

"What did you call her?" Dior asked.

"Who?"

"The Princess," Palinourus said.

"Nia."

"No one calls her Nia except for her parents and her sister. Not even her fiancé Othorion," Kai exclaimed. "They're engaged?!" I asked feeling shocked. What the hell? I didn't know that.

"Yup. Even though we're certain Nia doesn't even like him in that way. Her parents set them up," Carnelian said.

"Dang," I responded. I mean I knew there was something going on between them, but I didn't know they were getting married.

"It's interesting how she lets you call her Nia though. Does Othorion know you do that?" Kai asked.

"No I don't think so. That guy hates me."

"He's the most stuck up Elf you'll ever meet. He thinks he's so important just because he's one of the best fighters in all of Aeriodvell," Dior said.

"Yeah, but don't even worry about him," Palinourus added.

"I'll try best to ignore him. But back to what I asked before. You guys can just tell me. I'll figure it out sooner or later so you might as well," I said.

They all looked at each other for a brief second before turning to look back at me. "I guess so. I mean Ellania will not be happy but you're right," Dior said. He then turned to look at Carnelian indicating that he should go on.

"Ok, there's this book called The Book of Truths. In our native language, it is called Piic if Grogds. Us Elves like to call it The Book of Myths because not one thing in that book makes sense. It just sounds like Mythical stories written by Elven scholars long ago. Anyways, there's this one Myth that talks about the Two-Headed Dragon stating that sometime in the future, it will rise and lead us. Some say that it's an actual Dragon with two heads while others believe it is a metaphor, but the Myth right after that one is called The Son of the Gods. It says that one day a God-like Elf will be created and they will change history, not just for us Elves, but for all mythical creatures," he exclaimed.

"This sounds too deep," I responded. I still didn't quite understand what this had to do with me.

"But, here's the catch. King Klaern didn't believe any of this. In fact, he disregarded the matter and continued doing everything else to get his mind off of these two myths, particularly the second one. But around three-hundred years ago, he had a dream. It was one of our Gods telling him he must act upon the second Myth immediately. So he finally came up with a plan. He was going to make a Hybrid Elf, despite not knowing if it would have any correlation towards the myth. Take the blood of all and inject in one. He originally chose Othorion, but now a rumor is going around that he has chosen you instead," Palinourus stated.

"What? I'm not even an Elf. How would that even work?"

"It's possible," Carnelian responded.

"It is?"

"Yeah. It's quite a tedious process but it can be done," Kai added. 

"Dang this is a lot to take in." I never even expected any of this. I mean, every fantasy book I've ever read had its secrets, legends, and stories, but this was real. Not some fiction novel. Real-life.

"Yeah, it is. Would you agree to it though?"

"No, I mean I'm a nobody. Me changing history? That sounds like a joke. Othorion seems to be the perfect person," I responded.

"On the outside, yes, but definitely not on the inside," Dior said.

-

At around 10pm I returned back to the castle. I needed to talk to Nia. My brain was about to explode. Just as I opened my door to my bedroom, Nia exited her own with Midnight following closely behind her. As soon as she noticed me, she scurried over and began nuzzling her body against my leg.

"It looks like someone missed you," Nia exclaimed while walking towards us. I picked Midnight up and massaged her furry back.

"Well, I missed her too." Midnight immediately leaped out of my arm and escaped into my room. Nia and I both laughed.

As I looked at Nia in the face, I suddenly remembered that I needed to speak to her. "I know what's going to happen," I told her.

"What are you- oh..." she said. "Did they tell you everything?" she asked sounding annoyed.

"I don't know, but I know enough."

"They shouldn't have told you anything. You don't need to know," she sputtered with a frown.

"Why would I not need to know? Nia you're not making any sense!" I exclaimed raising my voice a bit higher. She widened her eyes before storming into my room. I followed her and closed to door.

"You're being ridiculous. If the King was considering to change me into an Elf, I have every right to know."

"You're right Xirus. You have every right to know, but it isn't confirmed!" she sighed.

"And that's why I am asking questions! Tell me, why don't you want me to know what's going on?"

"Xirus. Turning you into an Elf might seem like fun and games, but the entire process isn't fun at all. Please don't ask any more questions. Just forget what the guys told you," she said.

"That's impossible Nia and you know that."

She looked down in sorrow before looking up at me. "This is all a mistake."

She exited my room leaving me standing there furious. What did she mean by this was all a mistake? Was she saying she made a mistake by coming to the human side and meeting me?

She was so confusing. I couldn't seem to understand why she was so against me knowing.

After brushing my teeth, I slipped into my bed. Midnight immediately hopped onto it and placed her body next to mine. I really wanted to rest, but already knew that I would soon experience one of my nightmares once again.


	17. Chapter 17

"Just relax Xirus. When you wake up, it will feel like you've only been sleeping for an hour, but in Aeriodvell, a week will have passed. We don't know if you will experience anything, as in if your mind, spirit, and soul will be awake, but just remember to stay calm."

The last thing I remembered was the feeling of Nia's hand tightly gripping mine before my eyes slowly shut themselves.

I awoke from my sleep with heavy breathing. I didn't, in fact, have a nightmare. Instead, it felt like I had a dream. A dream of what could perhaps be the future.

"Xirus," I heard a voice whisper. I sat up from my bed and began to look around my room. "Who's there?" I called out. In return, I got no response. I was utterly confused. Was I hearing things?

I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room for the second time. Instead of going back to sleep, I got out of bed. It was in fact morning time. After showering and brushing my teeth, I made my bed. I then exited the castle with Midnight and decided to go to the beachside of the castle to clear my head.

I sat against a rather large rock as I watched Midnight run around in the sand. The sun was rising. It was yet again another morning in Aeriodvell. Today wasn't like most mornings though because I felt quite anxious.

My conscience was yelling at me. It wanted me to talk to Nia again. Somewhere deep down inside I knew I needed to talk to her until she would finally cave in. Until she would finally tell me more. I didn't want it to seem like I was nagging, but I really needed answers. I couldn't go another day without knowing more about the myth.

To make me even more anxious, I couldn't seem to ignore the dream I had. I usually had nightmares.

Last night was the first night I went to sleep and awoke not from a nightmare, but rather a dream. It was a feeling I couldn't seem to describe. When I woke up, I didn't feel happy, but rather empty and confused. I didn't know what the dream meant, but I did know that I got turned into an Elf. 

"Xirus?" I heard someone call out to me from behind. I turned my head to look. Sure enough, it was Nia. As she walked towards me, I felt glad that it was her who came to me, not the other way around.

"What are you doing here?" she asked before stooping down to pet Midnight. "Just wanted to clear my head," I responded while looking at the water.

"Yes. I sometimes come down here to clear my head too," she said. She took a seat next to me on a rock. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

I mentally laughed after hearing her ask me that. She knew exactly what I was thinking about. It was quite obvious that my conscience had been disturbed after hearing about the myth from the guys. I turned my head to at her in the eyes. "You already know."

She removed her eyes from my face and fixed her gaze towards the rising sun that glistened its shadow against the smoothe water.

"Yes, I do," she finally responded.

I followed her and gazed back at the water. There was silence among us. It wasn't awkward, but rather mutual. I didn't want her to get upset again, even though I couldn't seem to understand why me knowing more about the myth made her upset.

After finally making my mind, I decided to tell her. "I had a dream," I said. We both still remained staring at the water. "In my dream, I saw myself lying down. Sharian was telling me to relax. He also told me that my slumber would feel like an hour, but in reality, a week would've passed by in Aeriodvell." I felt Nia fix her gaze on me as I continued speaking. "You were also there. You were holding onto my hand as my body began to fall asleep."

I turned to look at her. She stared at me with a shocked face. "You d-dreamt that?" she stammered. I could see that her eyes began to water. "Yes."

She then placed her hand on her forehead and let out a huge sigh. "The Gods know it must happen," she said. "You need to speak to my father," she added while lifting up her head to look at me. "When?" I asked her. 

"Now." She got up slowly and stared at the sandy ground ."You will finally get to know why I am scared," she whispered. "Follow me," she said in a louder tone.

As we followed her, I couldn't help but wonder why she was scared. It was me who would go through the process, not her.

After entering the castle, my heart quickened in its beats. This was it. I would finally get my answers.


	18. Chapter 18

"Fugdat. Da tihs uva kimfernah da nygd. Da uh u hraun," Nia told the king. He was not seated in his throne chair. Instead, he was staring out of a window and was looking at Aeriodvell.

"Da ena us femully kina," he responded.

He turned around to look at me. I couldn't understand what they were saying which made me feel vulnerable. I felt like I couldn't give anything. It was a feeling I couldn't really describe.

"Xirus," the King told me. "It is time. It is time for you to make a choice." I continued staring at the King as he finally approached me. "I suppose Kai, Dior, Palinourus, and Carnelian told you a bit about the myth."

"Yes."

"I had originally chosen Othorion. He was going to be-" Suddenly the doors of the throne room busted open and in came Othorion. He looked angry. "Yio prica yior brinesa!" he shouted at the King.

"E mavat nuha u brinesa Othorion," he responded back calmly.

"Yio'ra raully tiemt gi kiisa en. Gdes plukc num i cmis migdemt upio alvas. Da's us auc us u fruel sgremt if truss!" Othorion shouted again for the second time. He fixed his gaze on me. His eyes were burning with hatred.

Nia gasped and narrowed her eyes at Othorion. It felt like he had just insulted me. "Da es sgrimtat gdum yio ell avat pa!" she spat back at him.

Othorion rolled his eyes before looking back at the King. "Yio ell ratra gdes!" he exclaimed. "Leave us, Othorion!" the King responded. After another brief minute of him arguing back, he finally stormed out of the throne room making sure he slammed the doors shut.

I looked at Nia and questioned her with my eyes. She shook her head telling me not to worry about him.

"Like I was saying," the King said. "I had originally chosen Othorion. He seemed like a reasonable choice. He's strong, has the body, and is skillful. But then I realized he doesn't have the heart. The heart of a man who is just and moral. He hates you with a passion. And hatred is not a sign of dignity. I also believe he would abuse his powers, but you. You Xirus are different."

As I listened to the King, I couldn't seem to understand. He was never around to watch the way I behaved. He didn't know me or my motives so how could he think that I was much different than Othorion?

"I don't know you, but I know you have a good heart. You've been through some things that have shown you how to care for others and put them before yourself."

It was at that moment it felt as if my heart had stopped. Did he know about my past? That wouldn't even make sense, because no one knew about it. Not even Nia.

"The Gods have shown me that it is you I must choose, but there's only so much that I can do. You must decide for yourself. After turning into an Elf, there is no turning back or undoing the process."

"Xirus. You shouldn't agree to it," Nia immediately persuaded me. "Please don't do it!"

"Why Nia? Why don't you want me to turn into an Elf? Why are you scared?"

Her eyes began to water once again. She turned to look at her father who had his head down. "There is one important hing you need to know about the process before making a decision. There's a fifty percent chance you could die and there's a fifty percent chance you could survive. This is why you need to think this through."

I turned back to look at Nia. She was on the verge of tears. So that was why she was scared and didn't want me to accept. "Please, Xirus... you don't have to do this."

"Ellania. Please leave us."

"But Father-" she argued back. "Leave," he responded firmly showing his authority over her. She slowly began to make her way towards the doors, but soon stopped and called out to me. When I turned around to hear what she was going to say, I saw a tear escape from one of her eyes and roll onto her golden cheek. "I'm sorry."

After she left, the King continued speaking to me.

"If you have any more questions about the process, you can ask Sharian, but don't listen to anybody but yourself. Deep down inside you already know your decision but don't be quick to choose. And when you're ready, you can come and tell me your decision."

After thanking King Klaern and bowing to him, I exited the throne room. "Xirus," Nia said as she approached me. "Don't feel forced to make this decision."

"I don't," I replied.

"Listen, I'm-" she suddenly looked around before leading me into an isolated room for privacy.

"If you die, then it would be completely and utterly my fault," she said. 

"How?"

"I went to the human's side behind my father's back. I met you and we became friends. You found your way here and now you could possibly die," she said with a shaky voice. "I would be robbing your future and your life."

"Nia that's not true. Yes, you disobeyed your father and we became friends, but I never planned on coming here and I definitely didn't think you lived here or was an Elf. If I died, it wouldn't even be that bad because I would join my parents."

"Xirus! That's not the point. I don't think your parents would want you to join them now. It's too early! You still have a destiny to fulfill and a life to live and this might not be it." She sounded so concerned. I still wasn't used to someone caring this much about me.

"But what if it is? What if this is my purpose in life? It might be risky, but I do know that everything happens for a reason."

Nia sighed before running her hands through her hair. "I'm scared," she whispered.

" Nia, don't be. Everything will be fine. I haven't even made a decision yet, so please don't think about it too much," I told her. I hated seeing people sad and upset, but there was nothing I could really do but reassure her that everything would be fine, whether I would accept or not.

As I exited the castle with Midnight following closely behind, Othorion suddenly stepped in front of me causing me to stop walking. "May I help you?" I asked him.

"You shouldn't accept. You're too weak and are going to die," he stated. Who the hell did this Elf think he was? Even though what he said made me furious, I still wasn't going to stand here and try and prove myself because there was nothing to prove. I knew I wasn't the strongest and I knew about the chances of me dying. So instead, I just thanked him for stating the obvious and walked away.


	19. Chapter 19

Thursday, August 1

Xirus. My son. Your journey has only begun. You will change all of humanity and will fix all the insanity. Not alone, but with someone who is currently unknown.

I awoke in a pool of sweat as I tried my best to catch my breath. "What the hell..." I muttered to myself. I had yet again another dream. It was quite funny, well not funny, but weird how I haven't had a single nightmare since that first dream. I didn't have dreams either, excluding this one, just a somewhat decent amount of sleep.

I sat up from my bed and twisted my legs so I could sit at the edge. With my head in my hands, I sighed trying to piece everything together.

It had been roughly two weeks since meeting with the King. I had spent most of the time alone doing absolutely nothing but thinking. I didn't ask Sharian any questions but rather asked myself questions. What would change after the transition? How would I feel after the transition? What would I be able to do after the transition? Would I even make it or would I die? And most importantly, why did I have two dreams?

Obviously I didn't know the answers to any of them but still played them over and over again in my head. Yes, I had felt trippy within the past two weeks, but it was at this exact moment that I felt trippier than ever.

In my dream, a female voice called out my name and said, "my son". Now it could've been my mother, but I couldn't even remember what her voice sounded like. And even if it was, how on earth was she talking to me and why?

The voice also said I would change all of humanity. I was tired of hearing that. How could I, a boy who had been abused for around three years, change humanity? And what insanity would I even fix?

I got up from my bed realizing that I was getting a headache. Lovely. Even though it was around 2 am, I hopped into the shower to try and clear my head.

Around ten minutes later of me just standing under the faucet, I realized something. The voice said I wouldn't fix humanity all alone. What the hell did that mean? Would one of the guys and me become great heroes?

I groaned loudly before shutting off the running water. After wrapping a towel around my waist, I walked towards the middle sink and rested my hands against the counter.

"Xirus..."

"For God's sake! Shutup!" I shouted at the mirror. If this was a sick sorcery joke of Othorion's doing or one of the guys, it wasn't funny. I was sick and tired of hearing that voice. It was obvious that I was perhaps going crazy. Maybe I needed a drink of water.

After throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, I entered my kitchen and prepared myself a glass of water. Just as I was about to take another sip of my water, I heard the voice again. I immediately dropped the glass which made a shattering sound as the glass crashed onto the floor. I instantly heard Midnight purr, which made me exit the kitchen.

"It's alright girl. Just go back to sleep," I said while petting her. After I ensured she was sleeping, I walked back to the kitchen and started to clean up.

Sure enough, as I was picking up the last shard of glass, I realized that I had been cut. I didn't even realize nor felt it. That was a sign of my pain tolerance. After patching up my finger, I laid back onto my bed and slowly but surely drifted off the sleep.

-

I awoke for the second time around 9 am. My conscience told me to accept. I knew I had to. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to, but it was something I knew I needed to do.

As soon as I approached the doors of the throne room, the guards immediately opened it allowing me to step inside. Sure enough, Nia was standing in front of her father as they talked about something that made her laugh.

"Xirus!" the King exclaimed which caused him to stand up from his chair. Nia then turned around slowly causing our eyes to immediately meet. Her face turned sour as I began to walk towards them.

"Um, I have made a decision," I slowly said. Nia's eyes lit up as she continued staring at me. I turned to look at the King before telling him my decision. "I choose to accept."

It was like the whole world stopped. I actually said it out loud. I heard Nia whisper a soft no, before storming out of the room.

I didn't even get a chance to call out to her because, by the time I managed to open my mouth, she was already gone. "I don't know what's gotten into that girl," King Klaern said. It was then that I realized, he still didn't know that his daughter and I knew each other before I had even entered Aeriodvell.

"Sharian told me you didn't ask him any questions. It's alright though, you'll get a chance to." He then stepped forward and placed his hand against my shoulder. "Xirus, I believe this is only the beginning of what seems like a new chapter of your life. The process must commence immediately."


	20. Chapter 20

"So, what exactly is the process?" I asked Sharian. I had just entered his private room so he could check how ready my body was before we started.

"Well, basically we mix the petals of three flowers from the Island of Aurora and create a potion that you will drink. It will do most of the transforming while you're asleep. Then we inject you with blood samples from six Elves living in Aeriodvell. So blood from an Avariel Elf, High Elf, Fire Elf, Water Elf, Wind Elf, and Earth Elf."

"Is that it?" I asked. It didn't seem complicated at all. The only complicated part was if I would live or die.

"There are other things too like sprinkling the dust of the Gods onto your body. Also, the Elven priest will cast protection, strength, wisdom and other spells onto your body while you're sleeping," Sharian exclaimed.

"Dust of the Gods? What is that?" I asked. "At our main prayer site, we have a jar that's filled with black dust. It's been there since the beginning of time and is only used for sacred things like bringing an Elf back to life and in your case turning a human into an Elf."

"Dang, have you've done this before?"

"No, but I've been reading about it all my life. While the King disregarded the myth, I spent days and nights reading about it and studying it. I know what I'm doing," he said.

I believed him. He seemed so confident with the whole process which made me feel a bit more confident too. Suddenly a knocked sounded against the door. "Come in," Sharian called out. The door opened and in stepped Nia. She looked a bit down, but nevertheless came inside and walked over towards us.

"Um, even though I don't agree with your decision Xirus, I want to be here for you," she said softly.

"Thanks." I could see the fear in her eyes which made me a bit sad. "Everything is going to be fine," I told her. She nodded before turning to look at Sharian.

"Ok, what's first?" she asked him.

"I have to check his heart, lungs, and other organs," Sharian told me. "As well as his hearing, sight and other things." He then turned to look at me. "I need you to remove your shirt Xirus."

My heart immediately started to race. It began to pound so loudly, I was certain both Sharian and Nia could hear it. I didn't want them to see my scars and bruises. I wasn't mentally ready for them to see them. "Xirus?" Sharian asked. "Are you ok?"

"Uh yeah," I responded. It was now or never. I suddenly sat up from the bed. I braced myself for their reactions while pulling my black t-shirt over my head.

Almost immediately I heard Nia gasp. It obviously wasn't a gasp of awe, but rather of shock and fear. I looked at Sharian to see him with a startled expression. Nia stepped closer to me with watery eyes. "Xirus..." she mumbled before placing her hand over her mouth.

"When my parents died, the government sent me to live with my family friends. My parents never had any siblings and their parents died long before I was born, so I didn't really have a choice. At first, they treated me fairly well, but maybe after two weeks of living there, that's when it all started. The abuse. They treated me like a dog. They slapped me, punched me, whipped me with a belt. The wife of Jason used to throw stuff at me like shoes or books. One time she even threw a glass cup at my chest." I pointed at the long scar located in the middle of my chest. I could hear Nia sniffling.

"They divorced eight months later. I assumed Jason would leave me alone, but the abuse actually got worse. He hated me. I was weak back then so I couldn't fight back, but when I turned nineteen, I had decided enough was enough. I started going to the gym and started to defend myself. Jason knew not to touch me. I had gotten a job and began to look after myself as well. The night before my twenty-first birthday, Jason tried to kill me. After stabbing him with a pen, I ran away. The physical scars have faded, but the emotional and mental scars will forever remain. That is why I always flinch when you touch me, Nia."

I looked at her seeing drops of water drip down her face one after the other. "I am s-so sorry Xirus," she sputtered while trying her best to wipe away her tears. "Yeah, I am deeply sorry too," Sharian said.

"I appreciate your kind words, but it was in the past. I am now focused on the future," I told them. "Well, um while you're sleeping, any physical scars or blemishes you have will disappear," Sharian said.

"Ok," I responded. That was good to know. I didn't want to be reminded about my past every time I looked into the mirror. I also wondered if the internal scars would ever go away. It was highly unlikely, but I didn't want my past to be the reason why I couldn't move on. Why I couldn't live the life of any normal human being. Well, actually any normal Elf.

After Sharian had checked me and confirmed that I was ready to start, he handed me the flower mixture to drink. "You will feel a tingly feeling moments after you have drunk the fluid, but it's only temporary."

After finishing it, I immediately felt butterflies start moving around in my stomach. It made me laugh for a bit which caused Nia to smile. We then moved into a bigger room. We were immediately greeted by five other Elves. I assumed they were here to assist Sharian.

There was a large bed located in the middle of the room which I assumed was for me and tables with materials on them. There were also four other beds on the right side of the room. After positioning myself onto the bed, Sharian continued talking.

"Alright. We've collected the blood samples from an Avariel Elf and a High Elf, but we still need samples from the Elementals. Come in, guys!"

Almost immediately, the door opened and in walked Kai, Dior, Palinourus, and Carnelian. "My man!" Kai immediately yelled as he walked towards me. "I'm getting blood from these Elementals? I'm not sure if I want that stuff in me," I complained.

"Oh shut up," Carnelian laughed. After giving them all fist bumps, they took their places on their beds. Immediately two of Sharian's assistant picked up needles from the tables and walked towards the boys.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said yes..." Carnelian mumbled which was still quite loud enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, you'll be fine. Just close your eyes if you really need to," Palinourus told him.

"You're afraid of needles?" I asked him. "Well, we've never been injected with needles before, so yes, I am quite nervous."

"Don't worry Carnelian. You will only feel a pinch," Nia said. "Yeah, just like this!" Dior said before reaching his arm out to pinch Carnelian. "Stop!" he argued back with a laugh. "I didn't ask for a demonstration! Also how much blood are you taking out of me?"

"Five milliliters," one of the assistants replied. "Five?!" Carnelian repeated sounding extremely shocked. "That's a lot," he whispered underneath his breath. "Well, Xirus is a big guy!" Kai laughed.

After collecting their blood, Sharian asked them to leave. They were quite stubborn at first but kindly left soon after. Once they were gone, the assistants transferred all four blood samples into one large needle. "So first, we'll remove twenty milliliters of your blood, and then add the twenty milliliters of their blood," Sharian said. "You'll feel weak, but don't worry. Nia will give you a bit of her strength."

Nia stepped forward and placed out her hand to touch my arm, but then slowly retracted it. "It's alright. You can touch me," I reassuringly told her.

"Are you sure?" she asked me sounding concerned. "Positive."

She then placed her hand gently against my forearm. It was warm and soft. "You ready Xirus?" Sharian asked me on the other side of the bed. "Yeah..." I responded. As I looked at the needle Sharian was holding, I realized that twenty milliliters of blood was quite a lot.

I turned my head to stare up at the ceiling. I soon felt the pinch of the needle going in. After around ten seconds, I began to feel drowsy.

"Look at me," Nia said. I fixed my gaze on her. Her hand moved its way down my arm and to my hand. "You're strong," she said. "Stronger than you know."

I smiled hearing her comforting words. As the seconds went by, I didn't feel weaker. It was like Nia was preserving my energy by holding onto my hand.

"Done! Now we're going to inject the other blood," Sharian said.

I felt another pinch again as I continued looking at Nia. "You're doing great," she exclaimed. Moments later, Sharian was finished.

"How do you feel?" he asked me. "The same," I responded. "What happens next?"

"Well, then you sleep and boom! You will wake up and realize you've got wings, can see better, and a whole ton of other cool stuff too."

"Did you say w-wings?" I asked. "Did I forget to mention that? Yes. When you wake up, you will have wings," Sharian exclaimed.

"That means we can race each other," Nia said. "I would obviously win," I replied. "I highly doubt that, but we'll have to wait and see," she chuckled in response.

Soon after, Sharian led me into another room. It was a lot smaller and had a large rectangular stone located in its middle. I laid down on it feeling a flood of emotions hit me like a tidal wave. Sharian exited the room leaving just Nia and me alone.

"This is it," she said.

"Yup."

"Promise me you'll wake up?" she asked. "I don't want to be stuck here without you and your funny sense of humour," she laughed. 

"Promise," I responded. I then closed my hand into a fist and fist-bumped her. "We need to create our own handshake," I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I always fist bump the guys when I see them, but we need our own different thing," I exclaimed." 

"Hmmm, how about we make one when you wake up?" she suggested. "Sounds good."

"Alright, I'm gonna go now. See you soon," she said. I watched her walk towards the door before opening my mouth to call out to her.

"Hmm?" she asked while turning around.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here for me even though you're scared."

"I guess that's what friends do. We remain at each other's sides even when it doesn't make sense."


	21. Chapter 21

Thursday, August 8

It was currently around 4 pm. In one hour it would be a complete week of Xirus sleeping. The Elven priest had visited him twice during the week. He was the Elf who sprinkled the Dust of the Gods onto his body. He had also blessed Xirus by casting protection, wisdom, strength, and knowledge spells.

Sharian did his daily checkup on him as well. There were no drastic changes except for his height, weight, and the growth of his wings. He had remained vital showing no sign of a sudden unexpected death which made Sharian happy.

Nia had also visited him. Every single day. She felt that it was her duty to ensure that he was healthy and that he would wake up. She made sure she prayed to her Gods at least twice a day. She didn't want him to wake up, she needed him to. If only she would've listened to her father and stayed away from the human's side, but she couldn't resist. Even though she hadn't been back since Xirus had shown up, she still really wanted to go back, not soon, but hopefully sometime later in the future. 

Othorion was furious and made fun of her for liking Xirus'. She cursed him and told him that the engagement was off. She told him she never liked him in that way and didn't care if her parents wouldn't understand. This made him very angry. Nia couldn't seem to understand why Xirus made him so angry. Othorion was never like this before. It was like he had changed.

Nia was currently sitting in front of Xirus with her eyes glued to his body. She had been watching him for almost three hours. She was trying her best to stay awake, but sleep soon captured her causing her to doze off.

As time continued moving forward, Sharian arrived in hopes to witness Xirus' awakening. He noticed how tired Nia was and tried his best to stay quiet as he checked up on Xirus.

"Do you think he'll wake up?" she asked Sharian indicating that she was indeed awake.

"I don't know... I mean we did everything right. Now it's up to him."

Three minutes before Xirus' expected time to awaken, the Council had joined Sharian and Nia. As well as his friends Kai, Dior, Carnelian, Palinourus, and even Elora.

They all chattered amongst themselves in excitement. It was really happening. The myth was going to come true.

When the clock struck five, everyone remained quiet with their eyes glued to Xirus' body. Minutes passed by and nothing. He remained still on the bed. Sharian and his assistants checked for his pulse and soon discovered he didn't have one.

"That's impossible!" Nia shouted. She rushed over towards his side and placed her hand on his arm with teary eyes. "Xirus, you promised me you would wake up. You need to wake up. Please don't die..." she sniffled.

"He's gone," Sharian announced moments later. "NO, HE IS NOT!!" Nia yelled. "Are you just going to give up?" Her heart was racing as she shouted at Sharian with anger. The council couldn't seem to understand why Ellania was so invested in this situation. Her mother knew that she was a very loving and caring person, but perhaps she was getting attached to Xirus. Elora and the boys had sense that Ellania had developed some feelings for Xirus, but didn't dare confront her or ask her about it. But it wasn't just feelings, it was the connection. She brought him here, so she must bring him back.

"Ellania, there's not much we can do."

Soon, the room had been emptied out. Nia, her sister Elora and the boys were the only Elves who remained. "I know for a fact he'll wake up," Kai said. "He has to." Nia was glad that Xirus' friends hadn't given up on him. She was also glad that her sister had stayed by her side. 

"You can guys can go, we'll stay here until he wakes up," Nia suggested. "Are you sure?" Palinourus asked her. He didn't want to leave them alone. It would be best if at least one of the guys stayed with them. "I'm positive. Elora is here so we'll be fine."

After the boys left, Nia walked over to Xirus and placed her hand onto his arm. His wings had grown which was a sign that something worked. "Xirus. You have to wake up now. The world is waiting for its hero," she whispered.

"Nia, don't worry too much. He'll wake up very soon," Elora said while placing her arms around her sister. Nia nodded her head in response as her eyes stayed focused on him. Moments later, an Elf entered the room to tell Elora that she was wanted by her mother. Elora didn't want to go, but Nia insisted and reassuringly told her that she would be ok.

After her sister had left, Nia tried her best to stay awake knowing that she wasn't going to leave the room until he had woke up. But as she fell asleep for the second time, she soon became unaware of what was beginning to happen.

Xirus' POV 

I opened my eyes very slowly to see the ceiling of the room staring back at me. I immediately sat up and looked and looked at my hands. They looked different. My fingers were longer and felt softer. I felt different. I couldn't even describe how different I felt.

It was like I was living in another body. I felt stronger and taller. I even felt smarter. It was an intense feeling that I seemed to enjoy. I couldn't believe it worked. I was now an Elf, but not just any Elf. An Elemental, Avariel, and High Elf. I knew I had powerful abilities and couldn't wait to test them out.

I looked around to see no one in the room except for a sleeping Nia. I got off of the bed and collected the shorts from the table. I climbed into them before walking over towards her. "Nia," I gently whispered.

She immediately woke up with a huge gasp. "XIRUS!" she yelled and rushed into my body for a tight embrace. For some odd reason, I didn't flinch.

"I knew you weren't dead!" she said. Her petite body felt soft as it pressed against my torso. When she finally realized I wasn't wearing a shirt, she quickly let go with a rose-tinted face.

It was only then when I realized how tall I had gotten. In my human state, I was 6'2" but now I was 6'9". I didn't even have to measure myself because I already knew.

"Your e-eyes..." she mumbled. I knew what colour they were but asked her anyways. "They're like a fiery gold," she gasped.

"I'm so happy you're alive," she exclaimed. "The council, Sharian, and his assistants gave up on you, but Elora, your friends, and I didn't. I am so glad you woke up."

"I had to because we still have a handshake to create," I chuckled.

"Yes we do," she responded. "Um. Xirus... while you were sleeping, did you experience anything?" she asked me. I swallowed slowly before opening my mouth to speak. "No."

"Your wings!" she exclaimed. "I can't see them fully right now, but I know they're beautiful," she sighed. Nia seemed very excited.

"We can go for a spin if you want," I suggested. "But what about the others? Shouldn't we call them?" she asked.

"Well, I think I would prefer to spend some time with you first," I said.

"Oh, uh ok," she responded looking a bit flushed. "Let's go."

So we exited the castle through a secret passageway that Nia showed me. Once we were outside, we walked to the spot where I first saw Dragons. To my surprise, we didn't bump into anybody. I felt eager to fly as I stood on the edge of the cliff.

"Ready?" she asked me. "Yes."

I leaped off of the ground feeling my wings unfold themselves. They weren't white or black, they were silver. My wings were massive in size.

Higher and higher I went. It was interesting how I used to be afraid of heights, but now that fear had vanished. I desired to fly as high as possible. I then turned my head to see Nia catching up with me.

"You're fast!" she exclaimed. "You would definitely win if we raced."

I laughed as we continued flying through the air. "Let's go up there!" Nia suggested as she looked towards the clouds.

The sun was starting to set as its light peeked through the white pillows. As we shot ourselves in between them, we were immediately greeted with a magnificent sight.

The sky was mixed with blue and orange. Below us was a blanket of clouds. It looked like a pathway leading straight towards the sun. The ball of fire blazed through the sky as it warmed our faces. I looked at Nia to see her close her eyes and embrace the sun's touch onto her golden face. "I love it up here," she finally said.

I too closed my eyes and let the sun warm my face up. My wings had a mind of their own as they flapped simultaneously causing me to stay up in the air. Never in a million years, would I ever think that I would be able to fly one day. It was a dream that I didn't want to wake up from.

I was an Elf now. No longer human. Even though I was still Xirus, I could now do things that I wasn't able to do before. I knew things that I would've never known as a human. It was also strange because I felt like I knew the answer to all my questions almost instantly. I didn't have to see my wings or my eyes, but I knew what they looked like. Nia didn't have to explain to me where the Council, Sharian, and his assistants went, because I already knew they had given up. I would have to get used to this amount of knowledge quite soon.

My vision was better. In fact, all five of my senses were significantly sharper than before. My body felt immune to all viruses, bacteria, and sicknesses. I knew that I could never fall sick or ill.

Even though I hadn't trained as an Elf yet, I knew that I could fight, but it didn't mean that I couldn't practice and become better because that's what I planned on doing. 

"You must be hungry," Nia said which interrupted my thoughts.

I knew there was a commotion happening near the castle, so we flew over there. Sharian had realized my body was no longer there and that Nia had disappeared as well. He had informed the king and the council which caused them to start panicking. They probably thought I kidnapped her.

There were a great number of Elves standing outside the castle doors wondering what was going on. I detested attention, so I braced myself as we walked to the castle.

Once we got there, someone in the crowd immediately pointed me out which made everyone turn to look at me. I could tell Nia felt a bit shy but nevertheless stayed close to me. One by one, people started gasping. In fact, one of the Earth Elves fainted after noticing me.

"You're alive!" Sharian exclaimed as he rushed over towards us. He reached out his hand to check my pulse, but I stopped him. "I'm good. Thank you for not giving up on me," I told him sarcastically.

"Sorry," he mumbled. All of sudden, I noticed an angry Othorion near the back of the crowd. I locked eyes with him noticing the hatred that filled them. He immediately escaped from the crowd and disappeared. I knew that he was no longer the fiancée of Nia. I was content with this information because he didn't deserve her. 

As I walked towards the King and Queen, I heard many female Elves giggle and sigh as they stared at me. Nia looked unimpressed which made me laugh. She was jealous.

"How do you feel?" the King asked me. When I was a human he had to look down on me, but now it was me looking down on him. "I feel stronger," I replied. "That's good. I am glad it worked," he answered.

Suddenly, a purring Midnight walked over towards me. I picked her up with a smile and began to caress her fur. "Hey girl," I said as she purred underneath my fingertips.

"Xirus, there's one more thing that you might want to consider. We don't have to do it, but if you want it to happen, we can make it happen," Sharian said.

What was he talking about? If only I knew people's thoughts. "What is it?" I finally inquired.

"We can transform Midnight too."


	22. Chapter 22

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we can transform her into a bigger cat. Perhaps a Jaguar. She'll be the fastest animal in all of Aeriodvell. You will also become linked to her."

Was he being serious? That would be so dope. She would be bigger, stronger, and even faster. "Well by the looks of it, you want to do it," Sharian said.

"Yeah. As long as Midnight is down, I'm down with her turning into a Black Jaguar" I responded. She let out a soft meow.

"Alright, let's get to it." Before leaving the crowd of people, the boys engulfed me in a big bro hug. It was weird being taller than them. They wanted me to meet them later so they can see what powerful abilities I had obtained during the process.

When we arrived at Sharian's private room, he excused himself. "I'll be right back," he said before disappearing out of the room leaving just Nia, Midnight, and me alone.

"I didn't know you were engaged to Othorion," I told her. "Yeah I was..." she responded. "I didn't really want it though. My parents thought he would be suitable for me, but I never even liked him in that way. He was like a brother to me. But now, he's a changed person. He disgusts me."

"Did he treat you well before?" I asked her. "Sometimes. Other times it seemed like he was just using me to get on my father's good side."

"What a douche," I muttered. "A what?" Nia asked sounding confused. I laughed realizing that she still didn't know much of my vocabulary. "He's obnoxious."

"Oh that's true for sure," she muttered. Suddenly Sharian returned holding something green in his hands.

"What's that?" I asked immediately. "It's a plant that causes animals to sleep. I'm going to mix it with the food I'll feed to Midnight. Her sleeping process is only for twelve hours." It was around 8 pm meaning that tomorrow around 8 am she would be awake.

We watched as Sharian took the leaves of the plant and mixed it with chicken. Midnight immediately demolished it leaving the plate completely empty. After yawning, she settled her body down onto the bed and dozed off.

"Do you need to call the Elven priest to cast spells and sprinkle the Dust of the Gods onto her body too?" I asked Sharian.

"No, it's different with animals. All you have to do is place a drop of Lorel onto their forehead, and wait until they wake up."

"And you've done this before?" I asked him. "Yes. Nia's horse Lightning used to be her pet mouse, but we transformed her once Nia turned 1660 years old."

"That's crazy," I exclaimed. It was then that I realized I wouldn't age like a human anymore. I would grow older without looking older. Life was just so much better in Aeriodvell. It was like the impossible back on the human's side was possible here.

"You can guys can leave, but if you want to witness her awakening, come back in twelve hours." So we left Sharian and joined the boys and Elora.

"Ok we've been dying to see what you can do," Dior exclaimed. "Show us what you've got!"

"Alright. I better step back," I suggested before moving away from the six of them. The guys began to look at me strangely. I suddenly caused my entire body to wrap itself in a large flame.; from the soles of my feet to the tips of my hair.

"WOAH!" Dior yelled at the top of his lungs. Then I fell into the ground creating a large puddle making no visible sign of my presence.

"Where did he go?" Nia called out. I splashed water onto Kai's face which made him wipe it off immediately. From my water form, I then transformed myself into a small tornado and rushed quickly over Palinourus causing him to go up into the air and fall back onto the ground. I finally made myself into a small tree in between Carnelian's legs before transforming back into my Elven state.

"That was amazing!" Elora exclaimed. She and the others stood there amazed. "How on earth can you do that?" Carnelian asked. "You literally just turned yourself into a flame of fire, a puddle of water, a small tornado, and a tree," he exclaimed. "Es gdu avam bisseplae?"

(Is that even possible?)

"E's hafemegaly mi bissepla," I responded.

(It's definitely not possible.)

Immediately their jaws dropped. "You can understand and speak Eisdarin?" Nia asked sounding astonished.

"Yes, I can. I don't really know how I just know that I can do it," I responded. "What else can you do?" Elora asked.

"Are you sure you want me to show you guys?" I asked. I really disliked the attention and kind of wanted to stick around Midnight to see her transform.

"Yes! We want to see everything," Palinourus stated.

I told them that I could communicate with animals. I called Lightning from her stable and she immediately came which surprised Nia. I also not only told them but also showed them the other things I could do.

I made a patch of grass grow as tall as the trees, spoke into their heads which made Dior creeped out, and demonstrated how fast I could climb a tree. After showing them some more things, we went off to have lunch. As we were eating, talking, and laughing, I felt a tinge of happiness in my heart. I felt like I belonged. Like I had a purpose and I wasn't just some outsider. It felt so good to laugh and relax. It had been so long since I had people to talk to, rely on, and enjoy time with. I had realized that it was so important for a person to have friends.

When I lived at Jason's house, I was often alienated and it was during those times that I had dangerous thoughts. Thoughts of harming myself and even harming others. I used to think that I was a mistake. That I wasn't meant to be born, but now it was like I was suddenly realizing that my whole life was leading up to this exact moment. A moment that I never wanted to forget.

After saying my farewells, I rushed over to see Midnight. There were still three hours remaining until it hit 8 am. When I had entered the room, I was immediately shocked by how bigger she had gotten. She was now the size of a medium-sized pig.

So I sat down and remained awake. It was only when Nia joined me that I realized that two hours and fifty minutes had gone by. "Did you not sleep?" she asked me instantly. "I wasn't tired. And plus, I just woke up from a week-long nap," I laughed. 

"True," she responded with a smile. She took a seat next to me and started to stare at Midnight's body. "Woah! Look how big she is!" Nia was right. Midnight was now the size of a regular black jaguar, but perhaps three times bigger. Her silky coated fur looked exceptionally darker than before even though it was black.

Moments later, Sharian arrived with his assistants. He was astonished to see how big she had gotten as well. The boys and Elora had also joined us.

As soon as the clock struck eight, everyone reminded quiet. I placed my hand on her head and immediately felt our bond which made me remove my hand quickly. Instantly, she was up. After yawning, she opened her yellow eyes that glistened like balls of light. She then bounced off of the bed. Her muscles bulged as she stomped her back paws onto the floor.

"She's beautiful," I whispered. I mind-linked her and she immediately walked over towards me. Placing my hand against her body, I closed my eyes. I could feel her happiness as her muscles relaxed under my touch. I couldn't wait to spend the rest of the day with her, but as we all went our separate ways, Kai pulled me aside to talk. "What's up?" I asked him. 

"Tomorrow at 6 am, meet us at the Dragon's Den."


	23. Chapter 23

Saturday, August 10

So the next day, I woke up at around 5:30 am, despite being very exhausted. Yesterday was a pretty awesome day. I spent pretty much all of my time with Midnight. We ran a lot, went hunting together, and even swam. It was a lot of fun.

After getting ready, Midnight and I made our way out of the castle and to the Dragon's Den. This time I didn't ride a horse. I flew over while Midnight ran underneath on land.

When we got there, I entered the normal way with Midnight instead of flying over the walls. Once we were inside, we began to look around. It was so dark. I had never been to the Dragon's Den at this time of the day. It was also very quiet.

Suddenly in came the boys behind us with smiling faces. "What are you guys up to? Why are we here?" I asked them out of curiosity.

"We want to see something," Dior said. I scrunched my eyebrows in response. "See what?"

"If you're the destined Guardian for the Hybrids," Palinourus said. I laughed after hearing him. "Oh come on guys. Just because I'm the 'transformed one' doesn't mean I'll be able to control the Hybrids. And besides, I don't want to."

"What do you mean you don't want to?" Kai asked. "I don't know. I feel like it's just not me." Leading the most vicious Dragons in all of Aeriodvell? That seemed like a death wish.

"We'll have to wait and see about that," Carnelian said. "What if it's one of you guys?" I asked. "Are you kidding me? One of us?" Dior laughed. "We're nowhere close to being worthy of that title," he stated.

"But isn't Kai the guardian of the Fire Dragons?" I rebutted. "Yes but only because my father was the previous one and trained me to be the present one," he replied.

"So an Elf is just trained to be a guardian..."

"Not quite. They also have to accept you. An Elf can be trained to be a guardian, but if the Dragons don't accept them, then they can't be their guardian."

"And how will you know if the Dragons don't accept you?" I asked. "The leader will change their eye colour for a brief second. That's a sign that you should probably exit their cave. If you don't see their eye colour change and still try to gain their approval, they'll kill you," Kai explained.

"And if they do accept you, they'll breathe out their element, whether it's fire, acid, or lightning," Carnelian added.

"That's cool," I exclaimed. I wondered if that was the same for the Hybrids. "What are you guys doing here?" We all turned around to see both Nia and Elora standing there.

"Uh..." Dior started to say. "We're just showing Xirus the Dragons. What are you two doing here?"

"I overheard Kai telling Xirus to meet him here. I want to know what you guys are up to."

"Like I just said. We're showing him the Dragons."

"But he's already seen them. Remember? On Protection Day? Stop lying," Nia firmly argued. "Fine. We want to see if Xirus is the guardian of the Hybrids," Kai finally admitted which caused both of the girls' eyes to widen.

"What?" they both said at the exact same time. "Do you know how crazy that sounds?" Nia asked.

"Yes and no," Carnelian replied. "He could get killed!" exclaimed Nia.

"Xirus isn't a human anymore. He's the most elite Elf in all of Aeriodvell and probably the most elite Elf in the entire world. He can very much take care of himself," Kai said.

"Yes but that's not the point! He just woke up guys," she said.

"Look, what the boys are saying makes sense. The Hybrids haven't had a guardian in a very long time because no one is even capable of leading them. But now, there's Xirus. He's technically the only person who is qualified to lead them, but that doesn't mean he's their guardian," Elora butted in.

"Um, I can assure you that I'm definitely not qualified," I said.

Out of nowhere, we began to hear a strange noise. Midnight immediately started to growl. We turned our head to the direction of the noise to see it was coming from the cave of the Hybrids.

"What the hell..." Dior muttered. "What was that?"

I suddenly began to move. "Xirus... what are you doing?" Kai asked.

"I don't know! It's like my body is doing its own thing!" I shouted. I was trying my best to hold my ground, but it wouldn't listen to me. It continued to move straight towards the cave. What type of sorcery was this? I didn't want to go in there!

"Can someone help me?" I called out. The boys rushed over towards me and placed their hands around my arms. Immediately I was pulled out of their grasps and continued moving towards the cave of the Hybrids. Then Midnight ran to me and tried to push me onto the floor, but my body resisted.

After entering the cave, it seemed like I had obtained control over my body again. My friends tried following me, but couldn't. It was like there was something blocking them from entering. Just as I was about to step out of the cave, a voice boomed loudly in my head.

Stay.

Why on earth would I want to stay? This voice was really started to piss me off, but instead of resisting, I obeyed.

"Give me one second," I told them. Nia gave me a face of worry. "I'll be out in no time." After turning back around, I began to walk into the dark cave. I felt scared not being able to see in front of me, but for some reason, I knew I wouldn't get hurt.

As I found myself travelling further and further into the cave, the dark air got thicker and thicker. I couldn't even see my hands. Then all of a sudden, a red bright light appeared illuminating where I was standing; the heart of the cave. I began to turn around taking in my surroundings.

There were hundreds and hundreds of Hybrids. Some of them had little lightning bolts electrifying out of their bodies, while others breathed out fire which quickly turned into water. They were all black.

Suddenly, I began to hear a high pitch echo sound. I immediately covered my ears.

It won't harm you.

I slowly removed my hands. Around ten of them flew off of their rocks and landed relatively near me. I walked backward in fear. Why was I here?

Then out of nowhere, a massive Hybrid flew from the highest rock and landed in front of me. It was the biggest dragon I had ever seen. Its metallic black colour made it looked vicious and showed off its dominance. I immediately fell down in fear. As I trembled, I looked up immediately into its eyes. They were the colour of the sun. As I stared into his eyes, I noticed that they weren't changing colour.

Does that mean... It suddenly craned its head up. It then made the strange sound. The exact same sound that we heard from outside of the cave. I watched its belly as it began to move violently. Was it going to puke?

Then all of a sudden it began to draw a big circle of fire with its breath around me. I stood up so fast in shock. Then it did the same with water, fog, earth, lightning and acid. It then made a high pitch echo.

I turned around staring at the ring surrounding me. It was sizzling and burning with power. The dragon suddenly pressed its foot on the ring and the circle immediately vanished.

It then began to walk towards me until it stopped at arms reach. Lowering its head to my height, it continued to stare into my eyes. I immediately knew that it was a female. With my trembling hand, I reached out to touch her. She produced a rumbling sound in the pit of her throat which made me tremble even more, but still, I continued to reach out my hand. As soon as I touched her, she closed her eyes, and when she opened it again it was still the colour of the sun.

-

As Xirus' friends waited for him to exit the cave, they couldn't help but feel anxious.

"We were right. He is the guardian of the Hybrids," Carnelian exclaimed. Both Elora and Nia rolled their eyes.

All of a sudden, Midnight ran into the cave leaving the six of them confused. "The barrier is gone. Should we follow her?" Dior asked. "Uh..." Nia muttered.

"I mean if Midnight went in there that probably means it's safe," Kai said.

So they all entered the cave. It would be their first time in the Hybrids cave. They had no idea what to expect.

After what seemed like a while, they finally made it to the heart of the cave. "Woah..." Carnelian exclaimed. They couldn't believe their eyes.

There in front of them was a Hybrid. The biggest Dragon they had ever seen, but what really blew their minds was the fact that Xirus was on its back.

"I can't believe it," Nia exclaimed.


	24. Chapter 24

Xirus' POV

"How do you feel?" Dior asked me after I flew down to them. "I feel the same. I just don't understand why she chose me..."

"Who? The Dragon?" Carnelian asked. I looked at him knowing that I was talking about the voice in my head but still agreed. "Uh, yeah. The dragon."

"You're like a prince," Palinourus said. "ALL HAIL PRINCE XIRUS!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The dragon immediately rumbled which caused Palinourus to close his mouth.

"Even the Dragon doesn't agree that I'm a prince," I laughed.

"Just wait till we tell our Father about this," Elora told Nia. "You're going to tell the King?" I asked. I didn't want the whole of Aeriodvell to know! "We have to," she responded with a smile.

-

Later that day, I asked Nia to meet me at the Dragon's Den. "What are we doing here?" she asked once we landed ourselves in the Den. "I wanted to fly a Hybrid," I told her.

Her eyes immediately lit up. "Imagine riding a Hybrid. That would be so cool, she exclaimed.

"Yes, it would, which is why I want you to experience it with me," I responded. "What? Are you sure? You could always just fly with the guys," she said.

"Yes I could, but I want to fly with you," I said. She looked into my eyes for sincerity and after spotting it she smiled. As we walked into the Hybrids cave, which was currently pitch black, I felt the nearness of Nia and the warmth of her body.

"Do you even know how to fly a Dragon?" she whispered to me in the dark. "I do," I responded. "Oh yeah. You can do everything now." I laughed after hearing her say that.

Once we arrived at the heart of the cave, a bright red light flashed allowing us to see. We walked towards the middle while looking around.

Soon after, the mother Hybrid flew down and rested herself in front of us. "Oh my gosh. I forgot how big she is," Nia exclaimed as we both stared at the black beast in front of us. "Me too," I added.

"Are you going to name her?" Nia inquired. "I was thinking you could name her," I responded. "Oh." Nia's face turned a light pink. "This might be cheesy, but what about Shadow?" she asked sounding embarrassed.

"It's perfect," I said with a smile."Do you want to touch her?" I asked Nia.

"Yes."

So I took Nia's hand in mine and gently placed it on Shadow's head. I felt her hand tremble. "It's ok. She won't hurt you," I reassuringly told her. She began to trace her fingertips over Shadow's scaly, shiny skin. "She's beautiful."

Moments later, we found ourselves on the back of Shadow. "You may want to hold on tight. I have a feeling she isn't going to go easy on us," I told Nia as she sat behind me.

Instead of answering she slowly placed her soft hands around my torso. I flinched immediately. Not because it triggered me but of the feeling. It sent sparks instantly into my system.

"I'm sorry," she said before removing her hands. "No, it's fine. You can hold me." She listened by wrapping her hands around me for the second time.

"Ready?" I asked her. I was also asking myself because I didn't know what to expect. This was probably very dangerous. "Yeah," Nia mumbled in response.

"Ob umh uuy!"

(Up and away!)

Immediately Shadow stood up and began to flap her giant wings. I turned around to stare at them. They were magnificent. Moments later we were up in the air. "This isn't that-"

All of a sudden Shadow rose up from the ground and began to fly with speed making an exit out of the cave. "BAD!!!" I yelled finishing my sentence.

She was flying so fast. "HOLD ON! I SEE THE EXIT!" I shouted. Nia tightened her grasp and rested her head against my back. As soon as we were met with the warm air, Shadow pushed herself into an upward motion.

"AH!" I screamed trying to hold on. "XIRUS!" I heard Nia yell from behind me. I turned to see that her body was not even touching the Dragon. She was instead holding onto my arms for dear life as her body floated. "HOLD ON!" I yelled.

Shadow continued flying up but in a vertical motion. "Settle!" I yelled. She instantly positioned herself in a horizontal position allowing both Nia and me to regain our composure. I turned around to see Nia's flustered face as she tried patting down her hair. I chuckled as I took in her appearance.

"That was insane. I wasn't ready," she laughed. I turned back around to check out the view. We were so high up allowing us to see the castle and its landscape so clearly. She suddenly took a sharp turn and started flying East. 

"Where are we going?" Nia asked me from behind. "I have no idea. It's like she's leading us somewhere." Around fifteen minutes later, I began to notice something far off in a distance. It was an island and we were flying towards it.

"It looks like she's leading us to that Island," Nia exclaimed. "Have you been there before?" I asked her. "No, not that one."

When we finally got to the island, Shadow lowered herself onto the beach allowing Nia and I to slide off of her back. We both took the time to observe the island. The cream-coloured sand was warm under our feet. It was peaceful and quiet with the only sound of birds softly singing. We also noticed many coconut trees.

"Coconuts!" Nia exclaimed before flying up to the nearest one to grab two. She then flew back down and handed me one. "Thanks," I told her.

With my bare hands I cracked open the hard coconut shell and began to drink its water. I could feel the liquid dripping down my chin, but chose to ignore. It was tasty and sweet. I took a break to look at Nia doing the same. "It's so good!" she sighed.

Shadow suddenly dived into the water disappearing out of our sight. "Oh my! Where did she go?" Nia asked sounding shocked. "She went to go look for food. She's hungry," I told her.

"It's always so fascinating to me how Hybrids can swim," she exclaimed. "The only other Dragons in Aeriodvell who can do that are the Water Dragons and they're not even that big," she said. "They can stay underwater for up to five hours, whether as a water dragon can only stay in water for around two! Their lungs are like those colourful plastic things on the human side. Balloons," Nia exclaimed.

"It seems like you know quite a bit about Dragons," I said. "Yeah. I've always been into them ever since I was a little girl," she admitted with a pink-tinted face.

"That's pretty damn cool," I stated. "You think so?" she asked me.

"Well yeah. It's amazing how you know so much about them. How are you not a guardian?" I told her.

She started to laugh. "I never really wanted to be one. I'd rather be the guardian of all the animals in Aeriodvell," she said proudly.

"Oh... so should I call you Mother Nia? Mother of all animals?" I asked her with a loud voice. "No! That's not what I meant," she laughed before pushing me. "MOTHER NIA!" I yelled before running into the trees. "SHUT UP!" I heard Nia shout from behind me.

I ran further and further slipping my way in between trees, vines, and leaves. I was filled with excitement as I ran away from her. After a couple of minutes, I stopped running by placing my body behind a thick tall tree. Turning around to look for Nia, I saw no one.

Moments later, still nothing. Maybe she got hurt or lost. I began to worry. As I removed my back from the tree, I felt someone push me. Turning around fast, I saw Nia standing there with a grin on her face. "You're not that good at hiding," she stated.

"Oh really?" I questioned her. "So you're better?"

"Yes I am. Start counting," she stated. I turned around and placed my arm against the tree. Burying my head into it, I began to count. 

"One, two, three, four, five-"

Memories flooded into my head as I continued to count. I felt like a little child all over again. I remembered the times when I played hide and seek with my father. He would tell me to hide in the house and then he would count for a minute. He always acted like he never knew where I was, but I knew he did. It always made me excited and happy.

"Twenty-seven, twenty- eight, twenty- nine, thirty!" I turned around and began to look for Nia. I knew she was good at hiding. Hopefully not too good.

I ran through the trees trying my best to stay quiet. I had never gotten high before, but with happiness and excitement pumping through my veins, I felt high. My happiness had disappeared when my parents died. I hadn't been happy in three years. Depression and exhaustion hit me like a wave and I was so used to it which was why I did nothing about it.

Living in a place that didn't remind me of my past influenced my happiness. I was happy to be here and didn't want to ever leave. Midnight was a gift sent by the gods. Despite her being an animal, I still considered her as my friend.

Having friends like Dior, Kai, Carnelian, and Palinourus also made me happy. I felt at home when I was with them.

Another thing that made me really happy was spending time with Nia. She was a great person. She didn't see me as someone with a rough past, but as someone with a bright future. I was here because of her. She was someone I never wanted to let go of.

I stopped running to take in my surroundings. Where could she be? I moved my head up to look into the trees. She had to be up there. I flew up and scanned my eyes. I suddenly noticed her wings peeking from in between the leaves. Smiling like an idiot, I flew over towards her.

She turned around instantly with a frown on her face. "Ok maybe this want the best place to hide, but my spot was better than yours," she exclaimed.

"Whatever you say," I responded. 

When we flew back to the ground, Nia spotted something. "Do you see that?" she asked me. I looked in the direction she was looking at and observed what was in front of us. This part of the island looked significantly darker than the side we were standing on. The trees, leaves, and even the ground was darker.

"That's weird," I said while walking towards the border. I stepped forward and slipped into a different atmosphere. I was utterly confused. My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings. Nia was currently freaking out on the other side.

She suddenly joined me. "What is this place?"

*I just wanted to say thank you to all those who wait patiently for me to update! Life's been pretty damn busy with Uni and stuff, but I'm going to try to update more frequently for you guys! My goal is to finish this book before the year ends, so you can start 2020 off right by reading book 3! Once again thanks! Love you guys;)*


	25. Chapter 25

It was like we slipped into a whole new world. The trees were dark purple and didn't look real. I walked towards one and traced its surface with my fingertips. The bark of the tree was smooth, almost like clay. Its leaves were mixtures of pinks, blues, and purples. 

The dark appearance from outside was only a shield covering its true image. "Look!" Nia exclaimed. She stepped forward revealing her footprints. They were pink.

"Where are we?" I asked out loud. "I don't know, but this place is pretty cool," Nia responded.

We continued travelling through it looking at our surroundings. I looked up to see many fruits hanging from the trees. Flying up, I got a better look at them. Nia followed and did the same. They ranged from different sizes and different colours such as pink, red, yellow, and orange. "Do you have these back in Aeriodvell?" I asked Nia.

"No. I've never seen these fruits before. They must be very sweet," she exclaimed. I watched her as she picked a red one. Bringing it to her mouth, she bit into with a curious face. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "They're so good!" she sighed with satisfaction. "Try it," she suggested.

She then brought the fruit to my mouth. I bit into it trusting her words. She was right. It was far better than any fruit back on the human's side. Its taste was sweet and caused the tastebuds on my tongue to tingle.

I then turned to pick a blue one. Instead of biting into it, I offered it to Nia first. I extended my arm to bring the fruit to her mouth, she opened it and took a bite. "Woah!!" she exclaimed excitedly. "This one tastes so much different than the red one but it still tastes amazing!"

So we tasted all of the fruits and rated them from best to worst, even though they were all so delicious. "That was fun!" Nia exclaimed as we walked back to the shore. "Let's come here again soon," she suggested. "Sure," I responded.

We arrived to the beachfront with the smell of fish roasting. We looked to see Shadow with 5 massive fish laying in front of her. She used her fire breathing mouth to roast their flesh.

Suddenly, the female voice boomed through my head.

You need to head back now.

"What?" I asked out loud. "Did you say something?" Nia asked me. "No."

Othorion is gone.

"What do you mean Othorion is gone?" I whispered. She didn't answer me.

"We gotta go," I told Nia. "Oh, uh ok." So we flew back to Aeriodvell with Shadow. After putting her back safely in her cave, we flew to the castle. There was a large crowd gathered outside of its doors. The council was trying their best to calm down the community of Elves.

"Othorion is gone?" I asked the King. "Yes. He and four other Elves have left Aeriodvell," he responded. "What do you mean Father? Do you think he will do something bad?" Nia asked the king.

"We don't know," he replied. "He has a heart of rebellion so we must be prepared," he stated. "Has this ever happened before?" I asked Nia.

"No. Nothing like this. He's changed so much," she said with a frown. "I hope he doesn't do anything crazy."


	26. Chapter 26

So Othorion and four Elves from Aeriodvell travelled on a boat to the faraway lands seeking help. They would not allow a foreigner to rule on their land. It didn't make sense to them. How could a human, who knew nothing about the existence of Elves before turning, be the transformed one? He had no Elf experience and knew none of their customs, unlike Othorion, who had been training his whole life to become the transformed one.

They had first stopped at the Island of Aurora to pick a flower. Then they journeyed to the East hoping to find the dwelling place of the Dark Elves. They were one of the most powerful Elves in all of the world. Othorion and his friends hoped that when they presented the flower to them, they would feel obliged to help.

As they continued sailing across the seas, they suddenly came across a blanket of thick fog. It covered from one side of the sea to the other preventing the five Elves from seeing anything in front of them.

"Do you think they live behind that?" one of the Elves asked Othorion. "There's only one way for us to find out," he responded. "Imurh."

(Onward)

So they paddled forward feeling fear immediately join them. They couldn't see a thing. It was like they were blind.

Moments later, the fog disappeared revealing two large stone mountains that stood on either side of a little river flowing into what seemed like the entrance of a massive island. "This has to be where they live," one of the Elves whispered.

So they continued to slowly paddle through the stream not knowing what to expect. They had never seen a Dark Elf before. Once their boat hit land, all five Elves stepped out of it. "Should we split up?" one of the Elves suggested.

"Mi. Gdata's imly feva if os umh a uva mi ehau u gdasa hurc alvas ura kubupla if hiemt. La's josg sguy gitagdat," Othorion instructed. So they agreed and began to make their way through the mountainous territory. It was awfully cold, dark, and quiet. Not even the sound of a bird was to be heard.

(No. There's only five of us and we have no idea what these Dark Elves are capable of doing. Let's just stay together.)

"If we get to higher ground, perhaps we can get a better look at this place," Othorion suggested. So that is exactly what they did. They crept up a tall mountain rock to get a better view of the island. There was a castle off in a distance with villages surrounding it. There was only one light and it was from the top of the castle.

So Othorion and the four Elves made their way down the mountain and started to travel towards the castle. Unfortunately, they did not make it quite far because a female Elf had appeared in front of them stopping them in their tracks.

("I ura yio, firaetmats?"

Who are you, foreigners?)

"A ura alvas i kina frin da lumh if uateihvall. A hasera gi sbauc egd da etas batsim em biat ata."

(We are Elves who come from the land of Aeriodvell. We desire to speak with the highest person in power here.)

She suddenly whistled which brought two more Elves to her immediately. Whispering something to them, they used their magic to bind the hands of Othorion and his Elves. "You better be worth her while."

So they followed her and the other Dark Elves through the dark forest. It was very dark. They could barely see the outlines of the trees. As they walked into the village, they began to look around. All the homes were dark and quiet..

One of the Elves had noticed an unusual-looking rock located in the heart of the village. He reached out to touch it but was immediately stopped.

"Do not touch!" the Dark Elf yelled at him.

He withdrew his hand feeling startled. They continued following her until they had reached the castle.

It was black, tall, dark and had many windows. As the Dark Elf opened its doors, they creaked loudly as if they needed repairing.

"Do not touch anything! Don't even look anywhere. Just keep your eyes on my back!" she exclaimed. They followed her orders in fear and kept their eyes glued to her back. When she finally stopped, they stopped.

"These Avariel Elves And High Elves come from Aeriodvell and have requested to speak to you, Queen Kali."

The Queen removed her gaze from the Dark Elf and onto the Aeriodvell Elves with curiosity. She then got up from her throne chair and descended down the steps and onto the platform floor. With her black silky veil following from behind her, she walked over to the Elves.

"What is it? Why are you here?"

"A male human came to Aeriodvell from the human side. He has now been transformed into the most elite elf in all of our world. This is unacceptable and we have come to ask you for your help."

"Help? What exactly are you asking?" the Queen asked.

"We want to eliminate him," Othorion stated.

The Queen made no facial expression after hearing his words. "Well, you're right. This does sound absurd, but why would me, the Queen of the Dark Elves, help you Avariel and High Elves?"

"Because we have one of the most powerful flowers from the Island of Aurora. I am assuming you know its name and properties," Othorion responded.

Her eyes lit up hearing what they would give her in return. "Fine. You give me the flower and then we will help you."

"And how do we know we can trust you? How do we know you're not going to kill us?"

"Just because we're Dark Elves doesn't mean you can't trust us. Do you want us to help you or not?" she asked. 

"Yes."

"We can seal it with magic," she suggested. They held each other's hands and closed their eyes. Their hands started to glow a light yellow colour as they mumbled words. 

After they had made their vow, Othorion reached over his head to remove the satchel from his body. He handed it to Queen Kali who immediately opened its flap and removed the flower.

"The Triesa flower... which has the power to travel to other worlds. I cannot wait to use this," the Queen said with a mischievous grin. 

"Hurc alf, prepare five rooms for these Elves. They'll need all the sleep they can get."

(Dark Elf)


	27. Chapter 27

Monday, August 12

"Xirus. What do you think will happen?" Nia asked me. We were getting ready to train together. The boys, Nia, Elora, Midnight, and I.

"I have no idea. I wonder where they went," I responded.

"Me too," she added.

"What if they moved? You know... to go live with other Elves," Palinourus suggested.

"Would they even welcome them?" Elora inquired. "Probably not," Kai laughed. "Us Elves like to stick to our kind. I'm still surprised we all live together."

"Me too. But it's so much interesting and fun living with the Avariels and the Highs. Imagine if all Elves lived together!" Dior exclaimed.

"That would be crazy. Who would even lead a population that big and diverse?" Carnelian asked.

"Obviously Xirus," Kai answered with a grin. "Okay, slow down. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I butted in.

Leading the Hybrids was already crazy enough. I would never want to lead a group of Elves, nevertheless a whole army of them. Even though I was perhaps the most elite Elf, I still wouldn't even think twice of doing that.

After minutes of talking, we finally started to train. Carnelian trained with Kai, Dior trained with Palinourus, Nia trained with Elora, and I trained with Midnight.

I taught her when to attack an enemy and how to confuse them by running around them with great speed. She didn't really need to be taught. She was capable of doing many things on her own. She was a smart animal. A fierce, strong, and powerful predator.

"Let's fight," I heard someone say from behind me. I turned around to see Nia holding her sword and shield.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. I could kill her in a heartbeat and she knew that. Why would she want to fight me?

"Yes, I'm sure Xirus. Show me what you've got," she said with a smirk. "Fine. I'll go easy on you," I said. "No! Don't go easy on me!" she complained.

"Do you want to die?" I asked her. I wasn't trying to be funny, but rather realistic. "Fine. Not too easy though."

I firmly gripped my sword and positioned myself getting ready for Nia's first move. I watched her do the same as she placed her sword above her head. We followed each other in a circle waiting for one of us to make a move.

Moments later, Nia charged towards me and swung her sword. Immediately I clashed my weapon against hers. We fought hard as our metals clanked together.

She drew her sword in, but I dodged it by moving to the side and encircling around her. I knocked her shield onto the floor from behind. "Woah!" I heard Carnelian yell.

She turned around with a heavy chest and stared at her fallen shield. She then reached behind to pull out her second sword and charged towards me yelling. Our metals clashed once again. I used my sword to hit her left one out of her hands. It ascended into the air. I caught it and threw it far piercing the heart of a deer running on the skirts of the forest. It fell down with a groan.

"How did he do that?" Dior yelled. Two of them ran off to the deer while the others including Elora continued watching Nia and I fight. She looked disappointed that I took her sword but amazed at my aim. She grunted before swinging her sword again. She was a fighter. It would take a lot to make her quit or give up.

I played along for a while. I even let her cut my arm which made her worried at first. Finally, I decided to end it once and for all. I threw my swords into the dirt ground and then pushed Nia hard enough for her sword to be thrown up into the air once again. I jumped which caused my wings to separate and caught it before flying straight back down to her. I landed on top of her stabbing the sword into the grass right beside her head.

We were both breathing hard. I could feel the rapid beating of her heart through my chest. I stared into her light eyes to see that she was shocked and surprised. Our faces were only inches apart. As I gazed at her golden skin, I couldn't help but fix my eyes on her freckles. They were so unique and decorated her entire face, especially on the bridge of her nose.

She was beautiful.

"Just kiss her already!" Kai shouted. I snapped back into reality and immediately got up giving Nia a hand.

"Damn you're really good," she exclaimed with a flushed face. "Sorry for scraping your arm," she said before looking at it. We both looked down to see that the scar was gone.

"Of course you heal fast," she muttered. I laughed. "You were born a warrior," I told her. "You were born to fight."

She smiled. "Yeah. I guess I was. My dream is to defend Aeriodvell with all that I've got. We've only had a couple of small wars, but that's what I did. I fought hard."

"That's good," I told her. "Fight for what is good and never give up."

-

"Ok. Here's what's going to happen. We're going to create a potion that will poison Xirus. There is a herb on this island called Martisia. It weakens the immune system of an Elf immediately. However, because he is not an ordinary Elf, we'll have to add other herbs that have similar properties and increase the dosage. It will be so strong that he won't be able to recover from it until I wake him up by casting a spell. You will bring him here and I will ask him a couple of questions. Then we will kill him."

"Ok... and how are we going to get him here?" Othorion inquired.

"Princess Ellania and Xirus are close? Am I right?"

"Yes. He practically stole my fiancé from me," Othorion grunted. "Well. We can make you look like Ellania and trick him. Once you poison him, all you'll have to say is a specific word and you will both return here."

"Really?" Othorion asked feeling shocked. "That's it?"

"Yes. As long as you're capable of doing it. If you do end up failing, I won't be able to help you," the Queen stated.

"Me? Failing? Othorion never fails," he argued.

"Very well. You will go in the middle of the night, so we know for certain that he is all alone."


	28. Chapter 28

Wednesday, August 14

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking at my door. It was 4 am and I was tired. Who could it be at my door?

I got up to open it revealing Nia. She looked sad. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" I asked out of worry.

"I couldn't sleep," she pouted. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?"

"Uh, no. Not at all," I responded. I welcomed her into my room before rushing over to the bathroom. I shoved a mint leaf into my mouth in order to freshen my breath.

I then returned back to my room. Midnight was now awake as she remained laying down with her eyes open. Nia stared at her with fiery eyes.

"Are you ok?" I asked again. "Yes," she insisted. "Come and sit."

So I walked over to my bed and took a seat next to her. "Do you ever have nightmares?" she asked me.

"Well I used to, but not anymore."

"Hmm," she hummed before resting her hand onto the bed. Suddenly, Midnight started growling. My eyes flicked to her in confusion.

Then out of nowhere, something sharp pierced into my back causing me to feel immediately weak. I groaned in pain, hearing Nia whisper a foreign word. The last thing I remembered was Midnight growling and my body shutting down.

-

Nia woke up to the sound of growling. Loud growling. "What is up with Midnight?" she asked out loud before rubbing her eyes.

She got out of her bed and rushed outside of her room to knock on Xirus' door. "Xirus?" she called out. Midnight's growl became louder and louder. Nia opened the door to see Midnight clawing at the bed. She then turned to look at her and growled.

"What happened? Where's Xirus?" Nia asked before rushing over to inspect her. She wasn't hurt but looked like she had just seen a ghost.

"Where did he go Midnight? Where did he go?"

-

I woke up feeling very cold. I was felt disoriented and confused. What just happened?

"Oh look. The prince is awake," I heard a female say with sarcasm. I tried to sit up from my laying position but failed. I attempted to move my hands, but they were tied together tightly, as well as my feet. I was too weak to try and release myself.

"Where's N-Nia?" I asked not being able to see anyone.

She suddenly rushed over towards me placing her hand on my face. "Xirus! Are you ok?"

"Where am I? What even happened?" I asked her. She didn't answer but instead did something so strange. She started to laugh.

Then out of nowhere, Nia turned into Othorion. I trembled in shock as I stared at him. "Othorion? H-How is that possible?"

"We are very powerful," the female voice said. Suddenly the person talking walked over to stand next to Othorion. She was a Dark Elf.

"Why am I here? Where am I?" I asked.

"You are here because he brought you here," she said while pointing at Othorion. "And you are in The Land of the Dark Elves."

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked. I knew it wasn't going to be anything good.

"I am Queen Kali of the Dark Elves and I wanted to ask you a couple of questions... if you don't mind," she said.

I made no facial expression. I wasn't going to answer any of her questions. "What are you capable of doing?"

I kept my mouth shut while staring at her. She fumed when she realized that I had no intention of answering her.

She then punched me in the face. Not expecting it at all, I grunted feeling the pain in my jaw. She punched hard.

"If only you would cooperate..." she muttered. "Oh well. Not my problem anyways," she stated. She then grabbed an empty needle syringe and stabbed my arm. As I groaned, I looked to see my blood being drawn. What were they going to do with it?

My arm soon felt numb. In fact, my whole body grew numb. After she had drawn a significant amount of my blood out of my body, she removed the needle from my arm.

"Thanks. We're going to need this," she said with a smile.

"Now what are you going to do?" asked Othorion. "We'll kill him and throw him in the water. I guess the sea creatures will be having a wonderful meal tonight," Queen Kali laughed.

"What?" I asked in despair. "Why are you going to kill me? Othorion! You don't have to do this," I exclaimed.

"Oh but I do. You came to my land and took my girl and my title! You don't deserve to be here and you shouldn't be the transformed one!" he shouted.

"This isn't going to fix anything," I muttered.

"Of course it will. When you're gone, I'll take back Nia, kill the King and Queen, and take back my title with the help of Queen Kali."

I tried my best to move, but I couldn't. I felt so vulnerable not being able to free myself. "Don't you dare touch them!" I cried out.

"Goodbye Xirus. I hope you rot in hell," Othorion said.

I looked to see Queen Kali reappear with a glowing potion. It was the potion of death.

"NO!" I yelled. I didn't want to die. This wasn't how my life was supposed to end. In fact, it just started!

She stepped forward causing me to close my mouth shut as tight as possible. She then took her fingers and pushed her nails into my mouth gripping my bottom lip. My mouth staggered opened with force. I instantly bit down hard causing her hands to bleed. She removed them in pain before slapping me hard against the face. She then used her other hand to open my mouth with force and poured down the poison. "Sulli!" My throat moved on its own and I swallowed the poison.

(Swallow)

It tasted so sweet which was deceiving. I guess this was my end. So much for starting a new life. As I slowly felt the rhythm of my heartbeat slow down, the image of Nia's beautiful face appeared before me. Her lovely golden skin and beautiful smile.

The last thing that mingled on my mind was her before my body shut down.


	29. Chapter 29

"He's gone. Xirus is gone," Nia told the boys and Elora. "What do you mean he's gone?" Kai asked with a confused face.

"I woke up early this morning to the loud sound of Midnight growling. I went to his room and he wasn't there. I've been searching everywhere and I can't find him."

"Maybe he's just hiding somewhere," Palinourus suggested. "I don't think so..." Elora added. "Should we look for him?" Dior asked.

"Yes, but perhaps we should tell my Father first. We're going to need a lot more help to search for him," Nia said.

-

"Oh, dear..." King Klaern sighed before rubbing his forehead. "This isn't good."

"What if he went back to the human's side? I knew we shouldn't have trusted him," a member of the council stated.

"You don't know him! Xirus wouldn't do that!" Nia exclaimed. "I think he's in trouble."

"Well there isn't anything we can do," the council member responded. Nia silenced her tongue from cursing the council member and instead looked at the king. "Father. Please. We have to do something," she suggested.

"He's the Transformed One. He's probably fine," the council member butted in.

"Look! I don't know what your problem is, but you don't have to help. You can just sit here and do literally nothing like you usually do!" Nia exclaimed.

"Ellania!" her mother gasped in horror hearing her daughter talk to the council member with such disrespect.

"But he's my friend! In fact, I think I might even be in love with him! He has nothing back on the human's side which is why he would never go back there! I think he's in trouble and I am going to look for him whether the council helps me or not!" she shouted before storming out of the throne room.

Ignoring her parents' call after her, she continued to march through the castle trying to make an exit.

"Ellania!" She stopped in her tracks to turn around.

"You're right. It is our duty to make sure nothing happens to Xirus. I will make sure all of Aeriodvell is searched. And we won't stop until he is found," King Klaern said. "Thanks, Father," she responded calmly.

He turned around and walked with haste back to the throne room.

"Ellania, how dare you speak to a council member like that!" the Queen rebuked her. "Mother! He was being unreasonable. It's like I'm the only one who cares about Xirus' well being!"

Her mother sighed while staring at her daughter. "You love him?" she asked her.

"I think so. He m-makes me feel things I've never felt before. I'm always smiling and laughing when I'm around him. When we're together, I feel so free. Just the thought of him getting hurt or injured breaks my heart. Mother, I need to find him, make sure he's ok, and tell him how I feel," Nia uttered.

"You remind me so much of myself. Many years ago, before you were born, your Father and I weren't so free with our relationship. His parents, the King and Queen, hated the idea of us being together. They thought your father was crazy for falling in love with an Avariel Elf. My friends and family also turned against me, but I didn't care. I knew I loved him and I made sure that nothing would separate us. Eventually, everyone started to tolerate our relationship, but I didn't need their approval. It wasn't about them. It was only about me and your father," she stated. "I haven't seen you this happy in a while. I am so sorry for setting you up with Othorion. I should've known better. We should've known better. We love you so much and we won't make the same mistake that your grandparents did. Xirus is your life, spirit, and soul. We will do whatever we can do to make sure he is safe."

With a heavy and grateful heart, Nia hugged the Queen tight. "Thank you so much, Mother. I'm so glad you understand," she sighed.


	30. Chapter 30

"Wrap his body with heavy chains and throw him in the water," Queen Kali instructed Othorion's Elves. They followed her orders by carrying Xirus' lifeless body out of the castle and onto the cliff that was located at the edge of the island.

Once they got there, they took the heavy metal chains which were already there and began to wrap them around Xirus' body. They made sure the chains were tight and secure.

When they were done, the four Elves tried picking him up but failed. He was far too heavy.

"Let's just roll him off of the cliff," one of them suggested. So that was exactly what they did. On the count of three, they all pushed Xirus' body. They couldn't seem to push him in one go, so instead, they pushed him seven more times until he was just on the edge of the cliff.

"One more," they gritted through their teeth. They pushed for the last time and watched as Xirus' body disappeared before them. They all stepped forward to look at his body as it plummeted towards the water.

Moments later, he hit the surface creating a huge splash. He immediately sank as they watched his body vanish from before them.

"He's gone for good," one of them said. "He won't be missed," another added.

-

"So we're going to inject you with his blood. You won't be as strong as he was, but you will be stronger than you were before," Queen Kali said.

Othorion couldn't quite understand why he wouldn't become as strong as Xirus but didn't bother asking. Instead, he lay against the bed feeling proud that he had made things right. Xirus was gone meaning Nia was his again. He couldn't wait to go back to Aeriodvell and take his rightful position on the throne. He still couldn't believe the King had chosen Xirus over him.

He had been training for the position for many centuries whether as Xirus had only been an Elf for a month and had only been living in Aeriodvell for three.

Queen Kali injected the needle into Othorion. As she did it, his body began to shake violently. She called the other Dark Elves in the room to come and help her by holding him down.

"Try and keep him under control! It won't work if he's moving too much!" she exclaimed to them. So they listened and tried their best to hold him down.

As she did that, she began to continue pushing Xirus' blood into Othorion's arm. Once she was finished, he stopped moving.

They all stared at him as he lay there still. "Was he supposed to shake?" one of the Dark Elves asked Queen Kali. "I don't know," she responded. She stepped closer and began to whisper a spell in hopes that the transformation process would speed up. Suddenly, Othorion's body started to transform. He grew in length, and his muscles expanded in size. They turned him around so his wings could grow freely through his back. 

Moments later, he sat up wide-eyed. He looked at his hands first, and then his muscles. He stood up to try out his wings which knocked down some items off of the table. With quick reflexes, he caught all of them. "Impressive," Queen Kali stated.

"I can't believe it worked," Othorion exclaimed. "How do you feel?" the Queen asked him.

"I feel better. I feel like I am myself now," he replied. "Good," she answered. "Now, here is what you're going to do next..."


	31. Chapter 31

They searched and searched, but still couldn't find Xirus. It was like he had vanished.

This made Nia devastated. She felt as if a piece of her heart was missing. When she wasn't frantically looking for him, she had spent her time praying to her Gods. Asking if they would help her find him. Asking them to show a sign letting her know that he was ok.

She barely ate. Her mother and sister encouraged her to eat more foods like meats and grains, but she refused and only ate fruits. Many people had given up, but she hadn't. She was just waiting for her sign.

Even though she was troubled with the disappearance of Xirus, she was also troubled by the disappearance of Othorion. She really wanted to know where he went. She could tell something was not right.

Sunday, August 19

Nia and Midnight were currently making their way through the forest. It was late afternoon. Nia found herself clinging to Midnight. She was the only thing that kept her sanity. She knew that if she was close to her, she would also feel close to Xirus.

As they continued trailing through the trees, she began to hear a rustling sound from around her. "Hello?" she called out. "I's gdata?"

(Who's there?)

The rustling continued which made Midnight growl. Nia took out her dagger from behind and readied herself not knowing what to expect.

Then out of nowhere, something slipped in between the trees. She instantly dropped her dagger as she stared in front of her in shock, relief, and in confusion.

"Xirus?"

"Hey..." he responded. She ran over and threw herself into him for an embrace. He hugged her back before she entangled herself out of his arms. "Where did you go? We've been looking for you everywhere!" she exclaimed.

"Uh... I went exploring," he responded. Nia couldn't seem to understand.

"Without me? I mean it's alright that you went by yourself, but you didn't tell anybody..." she said.

"What am I... a baby? I don't have to tell you every single thing I do," he replied with a laugh. Nia took a step back feeling surprised. He was acting kind of weird.

"Ya... you're right..." she said. "Sorry."

They stood there awkwardly staring at each other. Nia wondered if anything weird had happened to him because he wasn't acting like himself. As they walked together back to the castle, she couldn't help but notice how Xirus didn't even acknowledge Midnight. Usually, he was all over her; massaging her fur and running his fingers through her fur. He was acting like she wasn't even there.

As they approached the castle, the boys appeared out of nowhere running to engulf Xirus into a hug. "Where did you go, man?" Dior asked. "Exploring," he responded.

"Without us?" Palinourus complained. "I just wanted some alone time," he replied. They all gave him a weird look including Nia. "What?" he asked with attitude. "Nothing..." Kai answered.

They followed him into the castle as they walked towards the throne room. Xirus opened its doors and stepped inside. The King was seated in his chair with his wife sitting next to him. They were talking amongst themselves not even noticing the group of Elves enter the room.

"Father! Xirus is back!" Nia exclaimed with excitement.

"Back?" King Klaern questioned as he turned to look at them. "I mean I am glad he's safe," he said before both he and his wife descended down the stairs. "Where did you go?"

"I went exploring," he said again for the third time. The Queen and King both gave him a strange look. "Uh... ok," the King responded.

"Next time, it would better if you told someone. We were worried sick," he continued.

"I'm big enough to look after myself, but thank you for the concern," he responded. Nia's mother widened her eyes in confusion.

An awkward silence had filled the room as they all stared at each other. "I'm a bit tired. I'm going to go get some rest," Xirus said. He turned around and began to leave the room leaving the boys, Nia, and her parents still standing there confused.

"Is he ok?" the Queen asked Nia.

"Um... I don't know."


	32. Chapter 32

Nia wanted to tell Xirus how she felt but didn't think it was the appropriate time. 

"Xirus?" she called out before knocking on his door.

He opened it with an irritated expression. "What is it Ellania?" he asked sounding grumpy. He had never called her Ellania before and it sounded weird coming out of his mouth.

"Is everything alright? Did something happen when you went exploring?" she asked out of concern.

"No... I'm just tired... that's all. We can talk later," he responded. Nia had a crazy theory but wanted to test it out before leaving.

"A-And how's your back? Midnight scratched you pretty deep when we were training," she said. "Oh, uh it's fully healed. Thanks," he responded. After giving her a brief smile, he shut the door.

Nia ran to her room quickly. She entered and rushed over to her bed to sit down and think. There was something quite strange about Xirus. He had called her Ellania. He also said the scratch Midnight gave him during their training session had already healed, but he never got scratched.

She sat there trying to recollect her thoughts. She wasn't going crazy. She knew something was wrong with him. So she ran out of her room and went to look for Sharian.

"Sharian!" she exclaimed as soon as she stepped into his room. He was currently rubbing something onto an injured Elf but turned to look at Nia. "What is it?" he asked.

"Uh, can I talk to you for a second..." she said. She looked at the injured Elf realizing that he couldn't understand English.

"Ok one second. Let me just finish-"

"You know Xirus is back," she said.

"Uh yes, he is. I heard that he's resting, but I want to see him when he wakes up," he responded. "D-Do you think it's possible to make a clone?" she asked him with a stutter. He looked up at her in confusion. "What do you mean..."

"Like is it possible for an Elf to look like another Elf, but not actually be that Elf?" she asked. Sharian stood there trying to process her words. "Well... the only Elves that are really capable of doing that are the Dark Elves, but I've never seen it before."

Nia rushed out of the room and ran to the library located in the basement of the castle. When she got there, she noticed that there weren't that many Elves.

She began to search for answers. She pulled out books about spells and found nothing. She then searched for books about dark magic and also found nothing. Many hours had gone by and she still hadn't found anything.

"I can't give up. Not yet," she whispered to herself. She then wondered if their library had any books about Dark Elves. After asking the librarian, she directed her to the small section of books.

"Thanks," she told her. After walking to the section, she pulled out every single book, which was twenty in total, and carried them to an isolated table.

As soon as Nia sat down, she picked up the first book and began to skim through it. She did this thirteen times until she found it. The information she was looking for.

"Hurc alvas ura upla gi kusg biatfol sballs gdu kum kumta da ubbaurumka if um alf. E kum lusg ob gi am huys. Da imly uy fir e gi pa omeima es ef da raul alf es sgumhemt u lausg feva faa uuy frin da hakaevat."

(Dark Elves are able to cast powerful spells that can change the appearance of an Elf. It can last up to ten days. The only way for it to be undone is if the real Elf is standing at least five feet away from the deceiver.)

"If this was true, who is the Elf pretending to be Xirus?" Nia thought.

She then put all the books back where she had found them and walked out of the library. She knew she needed to find Xirus. He was probably in big trouble.

-

Tuesday, August 20

The next day, Nia woke up at around 3 am. She was going to look for him. After showering, she switched her daggers for long swords. She changed out of her attire and put on one of her warrior suits. She then made a bun with her hair before exiting her room. As she walked down the hall, she heard someone call out to her.

"Where are you going?"

She turned around to see her tired-looking sister walk towards her. "I'm going to go look for Xirus."

"What do you mean? Didn't he come back yesterday?"

Nia grabbed her sister and pulled her into the nearest guest room. "That Elf is not Xirus. That Elf is an imposter."

"Huh?" Elora asked. "I don't understand..."

"He called me Ellania and said that the scratch on his back that Midnight gave him had fully healed, but he never even got scratched. I went digging around in our library and learned something. Dark Elves have the power to change the appearance of an Elf," Nia whispered.

"That's cool... but scary," Elora said.

"Yes, exactly. But I think the real Xirus is in trouble so I'm going to go and look for him."

"Do you want me to come?" Elora asked her sister. "No. It's ok. I'll be fine," she responded.

"Are you sure Nia? Maybe one of the boys should go with you. It might be dangerous out there and plus you haven't travelled that far before," Elora replied with concern.

"I know, but it's ok. I'll be fine. I should be back with Xirus within the next couple of days. I know he's out there somewhere and I'm going to find him."

-

Nia flew over the Dragon's Den and landed in the pit. She wasn't sure if the Hybrids would remember her, but she was hoping one of them would give her a ride.

So she walked over to their cave and entered it. When she made it to the center, she began to hear a high pitch sound. She quickly covered her ears squeezing her palms as hard as she could. A few moments later, it stopped.

Out of nowhere, a Hybrid flew down and landed in front of her. She took a step back in fear.

It took a step closer until its head was only a couple of centimetres away from Nia's head. It breathed upon her causing her hair to swiftly move. Nia closed her eyes but remained still.

When she opened them again, she looked to see that the Hybrid was sitting down; waiting for her to go on its back.

"Thank you," she said with gratitude. After getting on, the Hybrid exited the cave and flew into the dark night sky.


	33. Chapter 33

They flew far. Nia went further than the island with the yummy fruits. Further, then she had ever been before. She wasn't even concerned with the long-distance, she needed to find Xirus.

Suddenly, they flew into dark clouds. It had gotten colder. Nia laid her upper body onto the Hybrid's, hugging it closely. After they had gone through the dark clouds, Nia sat up and looked in front of her. Sure enough, there was a massive island. "This has to be where the Dark Elves live," she muttered. So they flew closer to the island and landed onto the ground. As they began to walk around, the sound of laughter filled their ears.

Nia walked toward the noise to see the four Elves from Aeriodvell fooling around with each other. They were play fighting and looked intoxicated. With rage, she marched towards them.

"WHERE IS XIRUS?" she yelled in anger. "Oh look, it's the P-Princess," one of them laughed as they all staggered towards her. Nia immediately took out of one of her long swords and slashed the Elf on his arm. "Ahh!" he groaned in pain. The other Elves looked at her with widened eyes. "YOU BETTER START TALKING!" she shouted.

"We're not going to tell you anything. It's too late anyway," another one laughed. Suddenly, the Hybrid's belly rumbled. It opened its mouth and breathed out acid onto one of the Elves and immediately he was burned from head to toe until there was nothing left. Moments later, the Hybrid took one of its claws and pierced an Elf in his back. Lightning bolts transferred from its body and into the Elf. Moments later, he lay dead on the ground with many lightning scars decorated all over his body. 

The other two Elves standing there stepped away from Nia and the Hybrid in fear. "WHERE IS HE?" she screamed.

"His body is in t-the water! W-We threw him off of the cliff," one of them sputtered out. She then took both of her swords and stabbed them deep in their stomachs making sure that they were critically injured, but would not die. They both placed their hands on their wounds as the blood seeped out and onto the ground. "Gdu ell gauk yio i kiurhs gi mavat pagruy uateihvall utuem!"

(That will teach you two cowards to never betray Aeriodvell again!)

She then placed her swords behind her and grabbed both Elves by their arms. "You will show me where he is and what exactly happened ever since you got here or I will slit your throats!"

-

They were currently on the cliff. They had told her everything that had happened.

"GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I KILL YOU!" she screamed at them. She heard them scramble away as she stood there facing the water with adrenaline pumping through her veins. Suddenly, she removed her armour and jumped off of the cliff diving straight towards the water. The cold liquid covered her immediately as she began to push her body deeper and deeper. It was pretty dark which made it difficult for Nia to see. She didn't even know if she was in the right spot, but she continued swimming anyway.

Several minutes later, she realized that she was in need of air. However, she didn't want to swim up without Xirus.

Suddenly she saw something big in the distance. It was a giant sea creature. Nia's eyes widened in fear which caused her to open her mouth. Immediately water entered it and she instantly knew she had made a big mistake.

As she began to panic, she noticed that the creature was getting closer and closer. Then out of nowhere something from above grabbed her with its claws and pulled her up with speed out of the water. As she felt the cool air hit her, she began to cough. The Hybrid carried her up to the cliff dropping her gently onto the ground. "T-Thanks," she sputtered out before she returned to coughing.

She laid back against the ground trying her best to catch her breath. When she had, she sat up noticing that the Hybrid was nowhere in sight. She rushed towards the edge of the cliff to see a huge splash in the water. Nia took a couple of steps back and sat down feeling stunned.

It had only been about ten minutes and Nia was worried. She wondered if the Hybrid was ok. She wanted to know if it was battling the sea creature or trying to find Xirus. She also couldn't seem to understand why she hadn't seen a single Dark Elf yet or why none of them had approached her. After all, she was a foreigner on their land. An alien in their territory. Nia knew she would be an idiot if she jumped back into the water, so instead, she prayed to the Gods knowing it was the only sane thing she could do.

Moments later, Nia heard the sound of something big emerge from out of the water. She ran to the edge to see that the Hybrid was flying straight towards her. She quickly stepped back and watched as it flew onto the cliff. It sat down in front of her and laid its head against the ground. Nia stood there confused. Did it find him? She couldn't tell.

It then opened its huge black wings to reveal a Xirus wrapped around with chains. The dragon stepped away from his body. With teary eyes, she ran to him. She placed her hands against his body but only to remove them quickly. He was freezing.

"Oh I'm s-so sorry Xirus," she whispered with a shaky voice. She took her time to remove the chains from his body. Placing her hands onto his chest, she pushed hard. She then practiced mouth-to-mouth on him. She even tried using magic, but he remained lifeless.

"You can't be dead. There's no way," she said with tears escaping her eyes. "Xirus! Wake up! Aeriodvell needs you! I need you," she said whispering the last bit. "We still have a handshake to make. We still have to go back to the island with the yummy fruits. We still have to explore the world together."

"Xirus! Come on!" she exclaimed with a cry. She started to beat his chest in anger, sadness, and frustration. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" she chanted over and over again.

All of a sudden, a strong gush of wind appeared before them. It was visible. It circled around Xirus' body which made Nia get up and step away from him.

She watched as is circled him a few times more before entering his body through the mouth. After it had fully entered him, he still didn't move.

Nia blinked in anticipation. Did the Gods actually hear her prayers? Sure enough, Xirus opened his eyes and began to violently cough as he sat up.

"XIRUS?"


	34. Chapter 34

"XIRUS!" she yelled again before rushing over towards him. Throwing her body onto his, she gripped him tightly in a hug. "Ahhh," he groaned in pain. She immediately removed herself in response. "Sorry," she whispered. "It's fine," he replied with a strained voice.

"I'm so glad you're alive! I was so scared Xirus," she admitted. "We were together one minute and then the next you were gone. I was so afraid that I wouldn't get the chance to tell you..."

"Tell me what?" he asked. He was now sitting up and looking directly at her. "That I'm..." she began to say. Suddenly, it began to pour. The rain came gushing down soaking Xirus and Nia even more. Her hair began to stick as the water droplets fell down her face and onto her lap. She closed her mouth and swallowed slowly before attempting to speak again.

"Ok look," she said with a raised voice trying to overpower the loudness of the rain falling. "I've never felt this way for anybody before and that's why I'm scared, but I'm also happy. Very happy. I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

Nia moved closer to him as she continued looking into his eyes. "I'm in love with you, Xirus!"

He stared back into her brown orbs without making any facial expression. Nia sat there soaked and cold waiting anxiously for his response. He then reached his hand to her face and placed it on her cheek. He could feel the coldness of her soft skin on the palm of his hand. Her damp brown hair tickled the tips of his fingers as he flicked his gaze to her lips.

Then he slowly leaned in bringing his lips near hers. "Close your eyes," he told her softly. She obeyed before taking a deep breath. Xirus closed the distance and pressed his lips against hers.

He began to move tasting the sweetness of her lips. She followed copying his every move. Little fireworks echoed off in their mouths as their lips danced together in sync. When they were finally out of breath, they separated from each other. After a couple of seconds, Xirus opened his mouth to speak. "That was way better than I imagined," he sighed. With their eyes closed, they both chuckled.

"As much as I want to stay here and keep on kissing you, we need to go back to Aeriodvell. Othorion is pretending to be you and he might be up to something," Nia said in a serious tone.

Xirus grunted before they both got up and walked towards the Hybrid. Xirus made sure to thank it before he got on its back. After, they took off and started their journey back to Aeriodvell.

-

Tuesday, August 21

It was the morning time when they had arrived. After dropping off the Hybrid, Xirus and Nia flew over to the castle. When they got inside, they ran to the throne room. Opening the doors, they immediately noticed that it was empty.

"Where is everybody?" Nia asked out loud. So instead of just standing there, they made their way outside of the castle. As they began to travel through the village, they noticed that everything seemed normal. There was no commotion at all.

As they continued, they finally met up with the boys. "Xirus?" Palinourus said in confusion. "Nia?"

"Where is the King?" Xirus asked them. "He was with you, but I have a feeling something isn't right here..." Dior said.

They all made their way into Kai's house which was right behind them. After closing the doors, Xirus began to talk. "Basically, Othorion dragged me to the island of the Dark Elves, took some of my powers with the help of the Queen, killed me, and then came back pretending to be me. We think he's trying to steal the crown."

The boys' facial expressions changed immediately. "H-How did you resurrect?" Dior asked. "I will explain everything in further detail later, but for now we need to find the King and Othorion."

They instantly barged out of Kai's house. "Does anyone have any idea where they are?" Xirus asked as they briskly walked through the village.

"I overheard a couple of guards saying that Othorion wanted to show the King something," Carnelian answered.

"He better not lay a hand on my father!" Nia exclaimed. "We'll make sure he doesn't," Xirus answered her. "Is there any place in Aeriodvell that is hidden from the village and the castle and is hard to get to?"

"Um... there's the forbidden jungle in the west. Nobody ever goes there because it's hard to get into and hard to get out," Palinourus said.

"Ok here's what we're going to do. It will take forever if you guys ride horses and we fly using our wings, so let's just take the Dragons. We can carry you over to the den," he suggested.

"Unless you guys are afraid of heights..." Nia added.

"What are we, humans? No offence," Kai told Xirus. "We're Elves and we're not afraid of anything. Right, Carnelian?"

He looked at Kai and gulped. "Right..."

So Xirus held onto Carnelian and Dior and Nia held onto Palinourus and Kai. They flew over to the Dragon's Den dropping them softly onto the ground. The boys immediately went their separate ways; Kai entered the Fire Cave, Carnelian entered the Earth Cave, Dior entered the Water Cave, and Palinourus entered the Wind Cave. Nia and Xirus both entered the Hybrid's Cave.

Once they had all picked their Dragons, they flew up into the air and began to fly west. "Have you all been to this forest before?" Xirus asked them as they flew relatively near each other.

"I tried going there once, but my father caught me and told me it was far too dangerous for a little girl to be wandering around in. I was only 1708 years old!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I went there with my cousins many centuries ago. I'm telling you, the trees have a mind of their own. Even if I speak to them, they don't listen. Luckily my uncle came and rescued us before we got trapped," Carnelian said.

"So what should we prepare ourselves for?" Xirus asked.

"It's super dark in there," Nia said. "Well I can take care of that," Kai smiled. "It's also very confusing in there, so we should all stay together," Carnelian exclaimed.


	35. Chapter 35

Once they got there, their Dragons flew back to their den leaving the six Elves all alone. "This looks creepy," Palinourus whispered as they stood in front of its entrance. Vines covered the border making it hard to see into. "Carnelian, can u take care of these?" Nia asked.

"I can try." He swirled his pointer finger around and attempted to pull the vines free. They didn't budge. He then placed his hand on them and closed his eyes. "They're stronger than before. I'm afraid I can't do it," he sighed.

Xirus stepped forward and copied Carnelian. Again, nothing happened. His friends looked at him in confusion. "I haven't received all of my strength yet," he told them. He then tried again and immediately it broke free allowing them to enter the jungle.

Kai entered first holding a flame of fire over his head. It illuminated their surroundings allowing them to see clearer than before.

As soon as Carnelian entered, he knelt down, closed his eyes, and placed both hands onto the jungle floor. "They're in here. It's only Othorion and the King. They've been in here for about thirty minutes," he stated. "They went this way," he said while getting up and pointing in a direction. So they began to run through the forest. Palinourus used his wind powers to blow away any leaves and branches that were in the way allowing him and his friends to move freely through the jungle.

They travelled for quite a while until Xirus had told them to stop. "They're right over there," Xirus said while pointing in between a branch. The King was tied up against a tree and Othorion, who still looked like Xirus, stood in front of him holding a long sword. Suddenly he stabbed the King in the stomach. "NO!" Nia screamed. They all ran out into the open. Othorion instantly turned back into his normal appearance. Nia rushed to the King and untied him. Othorion stared at the boys with piercing eyes before opening the jungle up and flying into the air disappearing before them.

"FATHER!" Nia cried out. Xirus and the boys rushed towards Nia and the King as he lay there in his daughter's arms clutching his wound. "E-Ellania, don't c-cry," he said while wiping away the tears that were falling down her face.

"Xirus," he groaned. "You m-must stop him b-before he k-kills my wife," the King stuttered. Xirus knew that he needed to stop Othorion, but he stayed there staring at the King as he lay there dying.

"Go now!" King Klaern exclaimed. He then pulled his necklace off of his neck and handed it to Xirus. "Make s-sure you protect Nia, m-my family, and Aeriodvell. I know you will," he sputtered as blood came seeping out of his mouth.

"I will protect them with all my heart," Xirus promised. He then got up and flew into the air following Othorion.

"You guys go help, I'll stay here," Nia told the boys. She watched them disappear between the trees, before looking down at her father again.

"It's going to be ok. I'm going to bring you to Sharian and he's going to help you get better," she said while smiling.

"Nia," he softly said. "Y-You are strong. One of t-the strongest people I know. Make sure you l-lead Aeriodvell better than I did. You have the G-Gods and Xirus on your s-side."

"Father..." she sighed with the tears pouring down her face. "My t-time is up. Take c-care of y-your mother and s-sister. I love y-you Ellania and I'll always be with you."

The king breathed his last breath as he held onto his daughter's hand. "NO!" Nia screamed. "FATHER!" she yelled. She heard the birds flutter out of the trees and into the sky through the large opening above her. She continued screaming in agony. When she was out of breath, she stood up with her father in her hands and flew up into the opening.

"OTHORION!"


	36. Chapter 36

Xirus followed Othorion who he could see flying off in a distance. He saw as he flew through a window located in the throne room shattering the glass in the process. Xirus followed him inside moments later. "ELORA!" he yelled trying to warn her.

Once he had made it inside the throne room, he saw the council, including the Queen and Elora, looking at the sudden commotion. Othorion had landed and with his powers threw the council onto the floor away from Elora and her mother.

Xirus instantly placed a protection bubble over the Queen and her daughter and one around the council. He then tossed them into the air, high above the floor. Othorion turned around to look at him. "You think you can stop me?" he asked him with a curious smirk. "You killed me but here I am," Xirus responded.

The doors suddenly slammed open, and in ran the boys, but Othorion immediately threw them out and secured the door with his powers, preventing them or anyone from coming inside.

"Let's fight," Xirus suggested. "Only with weapons. No powers." 

"Well, where's the fun in that?" Othorion laughed.

Xirus took out his sword swinging it to the front. "Fine. Let me kill you first and then the Queen and her pathetic daughter," Othorion said giving in.

He then took out his sword and prepared himself by widening his stance. He then scrunched his eyebrows and put on a grinning smirk before charging towards Xirus. Their metals immediately clashed. 

Oh how badly Xirus wanted to kill Othorion. His intense jealousy and anger had turned into something far worse than both combined. He had lost himself and as a result, murdered the King. Othorion needed to realize that he didn't always have to win. He needed to humble himself in order to see the truth, but Xirus was afraid that it was already too late.

With his weapon tightly grasped in his hand, Xirus showed no mercy when battling against Othorion. They weren't training and he wasn't someone who was significantly weaker than him. He was the enemy. An enemy that needed to be put down. 

He continued to thrust his sword at his opponent as Othorion did the same. Suddenly in came a flying Nia with the King in her arms. Xirus had stopped fighting for a brief second which gave Othorion the perfect opportunity to cut his arm. "Hmm, of course, she's your weakness," Othorion snickered. 

With rage, Xirus continued fighting Othorion. He noticed that not only was Othorion powerful, but he had some wicked sword skills. It was obvious he had been training for his entire life; which was centuries. He was quick to dodge, duck, and leap. He knew how to strike, hit, and attack his enemy. Xirus knew there was a chance that he could lose, but he ignored that chance. Instead, he fought for his life.

Suddenly in flew fifteen Avariel Elves who were equipped with weapons, but unfortunately, they never got the chance to release their arrows or throw their daggers and spears. Without even looking, Othorion tossed them out of the castle window and placed the shattered glass back together again making sure that it was unbreakable.

Meanwhile, Nia flew up to her family's bubble with the dead king lying still in her arms. The Queen immediately gasped in horror before she began to sob. Elora sank to the floor of the bubble feeling defeated as the tears came streaming down. Then, Nia descended to the floor and placed the king on the throne platform. "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? TO KILL MY FATHER AND TAKE THE THRONE?"

Othorion stopped fighting Xirus and turned to look at Nia. "No. I didn't want this," he said while walking towards her. Xirus became tense as he stood there holding both swords. Nia looked at him with an assurance that she had everything under control. "But your father wouldn't listen to me, so I had to remove him. But don't worry, once I kill Xirus, I will take you as my wife and we will rule Aeriodvell together," he said.

"That isn't going to happen!" Xirus exclaimed. Nia stepped forward and placed her hands onto Othorion's chest. She then traced her fingers making small intricate circles.

Othorion smiled as Nia moved in closer to him. Xirus watched in horror as Othorion moved his face closer to hers until their lips were almost touching. Then Xirus' eyes suddenly moved down to see Nia removing her dagger from its pocket located on her back and bringing it to Othorion's side slowly. She then tried to stab him, but with quick reflexes, he grabbed it out of her hand, went behind her, and placed the dagger to her throat.

"NIA!" Elora yelled from above.

"I'm not stupid Ellania. Your little act sucked. However, I'm sure our kiss wouldn't have," Othorion hissed into her ear. She rolled her eyes and tried not to move.

"Let her go," Xirus said calmly. "No! You stand down and surrender and then maybe I will," Othorion answered back.

"I will never surrender to you!" Xirus replied before charging towards them. With his wind powers, he threw Nia up into the air in slow motion. He then blasted Othorion with fire who fell against the wall before falling onto the cold floor. With little strength, Xirus brought Nia safely down. "Thank you," she said. She then took out her long sword and positioned herself next to Xirus.

"What is he doing?" Nia asked out loud as she and Xirus stared at Othorion. Othorion has risen from the floor and was now floating in the air. With his eyes closed, he mumbled inaudible words.

Suddenly his eyes opened revealing his orbs which were now a glowing white. He waved his hands and instantly a thick fog surrounded the entire area of the room. With wind, Nia was blown away from Xirus.

He was utterly confused. "Nia?" he called out. He got back no response. It was far too dark for him to see anything. He flew up into the air only to find himself in a whole different place.

He was clearly no longer in the castle and perhaps he wasn't in Aeriodvell anymore. Xirus turned around to see Othorion standing there with a grin.

"What have you done?"


	37. Chapter 37

"You were getting quite distracted back there, so I thought why not bring you to a place where no one could distract you or better yet help you," Othorion chuckled.

Xirus looked down at his hand to see that he only had one of his swords with him. He then looked back up to take in his surroundings for a second time.

"I've been here before," he muttered. "Are we on the Island of the Dark Elves?" he asked Othorion.

"Well... not exactly. You see this is a replica of the cliff which you were thrown off of," he answered him. Sure enough, there was water underneath them. However, it was the daytime. The sun beamed a beautiful yellow as the white airy clouds floated in the sky.

"Why are we here?" Xirus asked.

"I want you to really feel the fear of dying. Don't worry. It won't be a quick stab in the heart. Rather you'll fall to your death," Othorion exclaimed.

Xirus gripped his sword with both of his hands as he walked towards Othorion. "You won't win," he told him with confidence as he pointed his sword at him.

"Really? We'll have to see about that."

Out of nowhere, Othorion took out his sword and immediately leaped towards Xirus. Holding tightly onto the hilt, Xirus responded instantly. He moved to the side and turned around slashing his metal at his opponent.

Lunging backwards and forwards, Xirus ignored the cool breeze blowing against his skin and focused on Othorion. Swing Swing Swing Swing. Xirus extended his sword and swiped at Othorion's thigh. "Ah!" he groaned before looking down. Xirus took this opportunity to quickly pivot around Othorion and slash his back with his sword, knocking him down after with his knee.

Othorion stumbled forward in pain. His opponent watched him from behind, as blood began to slowly make an appearance on his back. "You still got it in you," Othorion joked. He got up and turned around to stare at Xirus.

They began to circle each other. Othorion took the back of his arm and wiped off the sweat from his forehead. Xirus twisted his sword with anticipation. He wanted to chop off Othorion's head. As they continued circling each other, Xirus waited for Othorion to make his first move.

Suddenly, he stopped in motion and dropped his sword onto the grassy ground.

"What are you doing?" Xirus asked him in confusion. He looked down at his opponent's weapon to see that it was slowly but surely disintegrating. Xirus blinked a couple of times hoping he wasn't going crazy. Moments later, the sword vanished.

Suddenly the sword that he was currently holding did the same and vanished before him as well. He stared at his hand as it remained slightly open but with no weapon in it. "What did you do?"

"Did you really think we were only going to fight with physical weapons?" Othorion asked. He suddenly began to circle Xirus.

"You're The Transformed One and I've gained powers. We ought to fight using our real strengths," he continued. 

Xirus' heart immediately dropped. He was foolish to think Othorion would have mercy on his weak self. This was the moment he had dreaded for. This was all Othorion's plan. To make it look like he was going to play fair, but something wasn't right. It was as if he had obtained some dark magic. 

"Come on Xirus, don't be such a human. After all, you're an Elf now," Othorion laughed. Suddenly he stepped backward and his eyes turned black. The sun immediately disappeared and instead, it grew dark. The sky was now pitch black with only the moon shining brightly in the west. Othorion flew up into the sky covered in lightning bolts. He created a ball and threw it at Xirus with speed.

Xirus defended himself by making a shield with his arms and blew the ball of lightning away from him and towards his opponent. Othorion flew to the side dodging the electrical ball. "JUST SURRENDER XIRUS!" Othorion yelled above him.

Xirus felt the acid as it bubbled through his veins. He flew up into the air getting ready to spray it at his opposer. Opening his hands, he sprayed the acid liquid forward in Othorion's direction. He got out of the way by flying upwards and responded back with fire. Lots of it. In fact, his entire body had turned into a flame. He flew over to Xirus and opened his mouth letting fire escape it.

Using his water powers, Xirus stood against the fire. As he was doing so, he commanded a tree far off in a distance to throw itself at Othorion. Moments later, the tree bashed its large trunk against Othorion, who did not, in fact, see it coming. He fell down with force as the tree did the same and landed on top of him.

Xirus then formed a massive tornado to appear out of nowhere and directed it to Othorion and the tree. They were immediately carried up into the wind storm and disappeared before Xirus's eyes. With his hands in the air, Xirus tried his best to maintain the tornado's action. He was getting weaker by the minute, but he didn't dare to give up. He needed to see Othorion gasp for his last breath before he could stand down.

Suddenly, a string of wind picked up Xirus and brought him up into the air. He tried his best to fly back down, but it was too strong. The wind was not its usual grey colour but was rather black. He had lost control over the tornado and was now being swept up by his own. He tried his best to fly to the top, but it was far too strong. He then tried descending to the bottom, but it didn't work either.

"YOUR DEATH IS COMING VERY SOON!" he heard Othorion shout from outside of the tornado. Xirus then used his earth powers to create a tall tower of stone. It immediately cut off the tornado causing Xirus to fall to the bottom of the tower, but with speed, he got back his balance and flew up trying his best to make an exit.

Before meeting with the air, Xirus created a protection bubble around himself knowing that Othorion would try and harm him as soon as he made an appearance. Sure enough, when Xirus had exited out of the long and narrow tower, Othorion sprayed fire. However, Xirus was protected.

Xirus popped the bubble and stood on the edge of the stone tower. "Just stop this," he said. Suddenly, Othorion started to mumble words underneath his breath. He then took his long sword and threw it high into the sky and above Xirus. 

Xirus tried to fly off of the tower, but he was stuck. He looked down to see that a black snake with red eyes was wrapping its body around his ankles. He tried his best to use his powers to get rid of the snake, but it remained. He suddenly started to notice that as the snake twisted itself around his ankles, it grew in size and length and began to make its way around his calves and thighs. He reached out his hands for the second time to spray it with acid, but it remained unharmed. 

Out of nowhere, another snake appeared but began to twist its body around his wrists. Xirus squirmed trying to fly off of the tower. He looked up quickly to see that the sword was now covered with fire. He closed his eyes in hopes that Othorion's sword would land into the pit of the tower.

Slice. With one sharp cut, Xirus' wings fell off of his body and into the bottom of the tower. 

"AHHH!" Xirus screamed in affliction. All that was left were the scars of where his wings were before. The first snake had made its way up Xirus' body and to his neck. Once it had stopped moving, it began to squeeze tightly.

"It's over Xirus," Othorion said calmly as he flew over towards him. "Y-You w-won't g-get away w-with t-this," Xirus squeaked out. Othorion took his hands and shook them once. Instantly, his nails grew long as black acid dripped from them. Xirus eyes stayed glued to Othorion's hands in fear.

This was really the end.

Suddenly, Othorion clawed his nails into the sides of Xirus' head. Immediately, Xirus yelled loudly in torment as he felt his body shut down for the second time. He had experienced migraines before when he was a human, but this was far worse than a migraine. It was as if his brain was being cut open. He could feel the poison of the black acid as it created a pool into his head. In under ten seconds, Xirus's body began to make its way off the cliff. Down down down he went. With the speed he was going at, Xirus couldn't even prepare himself. He had lost all of his power and was soon to be greeted with the cold surface of the water.

"Help me," he muttered before his body plummeted into the water.


	38. Chapter 38

Nia woke up with a massive headache. She sat up and looked around. She was lying on her bed. She got up immediately and ran out of her room. "XIRUS!" she yelled out.

She ran into the upstairs foyer. She looked through the glass doors of the balcony to see her sister and mother sitting down at the table. She ran over and opened its doors to join them.

"Where's Xirus? How long was I out for?" she asked them.

"You've been sleeping for two hours and we have no idea where Xirus is," the Queen said.

"Oh my gosh," she panted. "We can't just do nothing!" she exclaimed anxiously.

"Nia, they disappeared within thin air. We literally have no idea where they are," Elora exclaimed.

She sighed before jumping off of the balcony. Flying towards the village, she began to search for the boys. She saw them on the field nearby sitting on the grass.

She flew over to them and landed softly. "What happened?" she asked them. They looked bored. Dior played with the grass while the others fiddled with their weapons.

"We're not sure. All we know is that both Xirus and Othorion have disappeared," Kai told her.

Nia joined them and took a seat on the grass. "I'm so anxious. I hope he's alright," she said. She was worried that he wasn't strong enough to beat Othorion. She was also confused. How on earth did they disappear and where did they go?

Suddenly, they began to hear a ruckus in the village. Nia immediately got up and flew over to see what was going on. The boys followed and ran behind her.

Othorion had returned and was alone. Every Elf came out of their homes and shops and stared at him in fear as he walked through the village.

Nia flew to him and landed taking out her sword. She held it to Othorion's neck.

"WHERE IS HE?" she yelled at him.

"Woah woah woah," Othorion said while placing his hand on top of Nia's blade. "Now that's not how you treat your new king," he told her.

"W-What?" she stuttered aloud. "Where is Xirus?" she asked sternly for the second time.

"He is... unfortunately... dead," Othorion sighed.

Nia's heart dropped. "YOU LIAR!" she said raising her voice. "Why would I be lying?" Othorion responded with a smirk on his face.

Nia's face immediately became red as a flood of emotions filled her. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" she yelled. She removed her weapon from Othorion's hands slicing them in the process. She then swung it at him in rage. He immediately knocked it out of her hands and grabbed her arm pulling her into him.

"You will have to grow up Nia because you're going to become my wife," he hissed in her ear.

"I would rather marry a sea creature than marry you," she gritted through her teeth before stomping hard on his foot. "Ow," he groaned. She tried to free herself, but he pulled her into him for the second time holding her arm tightly.

"Leave her alone!" an Elf yelled as he came forward with his dagger. Othorion turned to look at him with a grin. "Oh, so you want to die?" He then stretched out his hand and lifted the elf up.

He hung in the air and began to struggle for his life. Placing his hands on his neck he gasped for air. Othorion was choking him. The village Elves gasped in horror. The mothers placed their hands over their children's eyes shielding their sight.

Moments later, Othorion let go of the Elf who fell instantly to the ground. Everyone looked to see that he was indeed dead. "Somebody take him away..." Othorion said in disgust. "NOW!"

An Elf quickly grabbed the body and walked away with it.

Othorion then turned back to look at Nia who was still in his grip."If you so try to kill me, run away, or do something stupid along those lines, I will kill you, your mother, and your sister. So, if I were you I would be a good Princess and stay in line. Xirus is dead and sadly he won't be resurrecting this time," he told her.

Nia stayed quiet as she tried to control her shaky breathing. "You and I will marry as soon as possible. I will also be crowned King and you will be crowned Queen," he said.

Nia opened her mouth to protest but immediately closed it. "You will have to wait two weeks to do that," the Queen said from behind.

"And why is that?"

"Because it's the law. If a king dies, the next king must wait two weeks until he gets crowned the new King. You should know this Othorion," the Queen scoffed.

"How could I have forgotten?" he exclaimed. Othorion wanted the ceremony to happen right away, but he also didn't want to get cursed. He knew what he had to do.

"Fine. We'll wait two weeks until the ceremony."

Nia was relieved that they weren't going to marry right away. She didn't want to marry him. In fact, she wanted to kill him.

"Mi lesgam ob avatypihy! gdemts ura tiemt gi pa u li hessatam uriome ata. mi Alf ell pa ulliah gi lauva gdes eslumh!"he stated.

(Now listen up everybody! Things are going to be a lot different around here. No Elf will be allowed to leave this island!)

The villagers gasped in shock. "Yio ell mi limtat uva fasevuls kalapruemt auk igdat umh da tihs. Yio ell mi uva fasevuls kalapruemt na us yior foora cemt umh imly na!"

(You will no longer have festivals celebrating each other and the Gods. You will now have festivals celebrating me as your future king and only me!)

The Elves who were listening couldn't believe what they were hearing. Othorion had truly gone mad.

"Yio ell irc urh avaty huy. Gdata ell pa mi ena fir fiilemt uriome umh uvemt fom. Ef yio uva u briplan egd gdasa ma kumtas, e hura yio gi sbauc ob!" he exclaimed.

(You will work hard every day. There will be no time for fooling around and having fun. If you have a problem with these new changes, I dare you to speak up!)

The entire village remained quiet because they were gripped with fear.

"Tiih. Mi kurry im egd yior budaek levas!" he said.

(Good. Now carry on with your pathetic lives!)

"If your family was alive, they would be ashamed of the Elf you have become," the Queen said.

"Well, they're not," Othorion sighed. "Thanks for telling me though."

And with that, he left with the two Elves who had also betrayed Aeriodvell.


	39. Chapter 39

Tuesday, August 27 

A week had passed since Othorion had returned. The Elves detested the new festivals and wanted Othorion to quit his rebellious act.

The Queen had stayed close to her daughters. She was devastated by her husband's death but didn't cry all that much. She knew she needed to be strong so instead, she prayed that the Gods would save them.

Othorion had made quite a few changes to the ruling of Aeriodvell. He had removed the elders from their positions. There was no longer a council. He also removed every guardian from their dragons. He decided that it would be fitting if he ruled all dragons because he was connected to all of them.

Nia had cried herself to sleep several nights. She felt as if she was reliving a nightmare every single day. She still couldn't believe Xirus was gone. That he was dead. Never in a thousand years would she have expected that her life would turn into this.

Four days ago they had buried her father next to his ancestors. The whole land mourned for the loss of their beloved King. All except Othorion and his two Elves.

Nia was currently training with her sister. They had spent most of the week training. Nia often trained when she felt anxious.

Xirus' absence felt weird. When he was sleeping during the transformation process, Nia anticipated his awakening. In fact, all of Aeriodvell did. However, this time it was different. Even though she hadn't seen Xirus die right in front of her, she knew he was gone. She had thought maybe he would resurrect again, but after a full week had gone by, she came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to happen.

It also seemed like the sun hardly ever made an appearance. The skies remained cloudy and the air became quite chilly. Chillier than it had ever been before in Aeriodvell. 

Elora had set up targets for her sister so she could practice her aim. Even though Nia and her sister were both really good at aiming, they always practiced with their bows and arrows. Over and over again.

"READY?" Elora called out from afar. Nia put her arm up to let her know that she was.

Taking out her first arrow, she positioned it in her bow. Her father was the one who taught her how to shoot arrows. It was one of the things he used to do for fun.

Zip. She released the arrow and it flew toward its target, but she didn't wait to see the hit. She continued running forward shooting her arrows at every target. When she had finally released them all, she flew over to the last one to see that she hit it perfectly in the middle.

"Well done," Elora exclaimed. Once she had collected all of her arrows, she signified Elora that she could go.

They did this quite a few times before taking a lunch break. 

"How long do you think he'll go on like this?" Elora asked her sister as they sat together. They were waiting for their fish to roast.

"I'm not sure. Until someone more powerful defeats him," Nia answered. 

"What if we ask the other Elves to help us? You know, the Seelies, Sun Elves, Moon Elves, or even the Pixie Elves?"

"We've never even seen them before. They also live very far," Nia responded.

"Oh how I wish things were different," her sister pouted. Nia didn't respond even though she agreed. She wished her father was here because he would know exactly what to do. 

"Are you ready to get married to Othorion?" Elora asked out of the blue.

"No. I am not ready at all. In fact, I feel like running away, but I can't. He would kill you and mother," Nia sighed. "Oh, I am so scared Elora," she said feeling her eyes water.

Elora got up from the log and walked over towards her sister. She crouched down and wrapped her arms around her. "Me too, but we're in this together. I am sure the Gods will help us."

-

It was currently late afternoon. Nia sat still against a tree staring at the sun as it began to set. It was the dullest sunset she had ever seen. The usual vibrant colours were nowhere to be seen and the reflection of the sun was disappointing. 

Maybe it was Nia's eyes playing tricks on her, but it was quite clear that the environment was different. The weather seemed to match the way she was feeling.

"Everything is going to be ok."

"Huh?" Nia said aloud as she turned around. There was no one around her. "Who said that?" she asked while standing up. 

The voice was feminine but also sounded rich and dark. It was a voice she had never heard before. She then realized that she was probably going mad. It was sad that she couldn't even trust her own ears. 

But as she stood there staring at the sunset, she couldn't help but replay those six words over and over again in her mind.

"Everything is going to be ok, everything is going to be ok," she whispered to herself. She then closed her eyes as she inhaled the cool air.

"Avatygdemt es tiemt gi pa ic," she said as she released her breath and opened her eyes.

(Everything is going to be ok.)


	40. Chapter 40

Tuesday, September 3

It was the night before the ceremony. Nia was currently on her bed feeling very low. Suddenly there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she called out softly. In walked Othorion. "Tomorrow's our big day," he said with a smile. Nia stood up very slowly. "Yes, it is."

"We will be wedded and then soon you will be pregnant," he told her. Her eyes widened after hearing Othorion's words. She internally cringed at the thought of bearing his kids. Even though Elven pregnancies were harmonious, she didn't want the monster's child stuck in her belly for twenty-four months.

He walked over towards her and placed his hand over her neck. She took a deep breath as he rubbed his icy cold thumb over her skin. "You will learn to love me," he told her.

"I could never love a murderer and a monster," she hissed. Othorion removed his hand from her neck and slapped her across the face. She gasped in shock as she brought her hand to her cheek. She was sure it had turned red. It stung a lot.

She looked up at him with cold eyes. "HOW DARE-" He cut her off by placing his finger against her lips. "Shh, get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," he said calmly. He then placed a kiss on her forehead before exiting the room. As soon as the door had shut, Nia sunk down to the floor and began to weep.

Her shoulders shook violently as she sobbed. She wished things could return back to normal. She wished Xirus and her father were alive. She still couldn't believe that they were gone. It didn't seem real. In fact, this was her first time crying since the death of Xirus. She had bottled up all her emotions and tears until now.

Still crying, Nia stood up and walked over towards her bed. She slipped underneath the covers and turned off her nightlight. Turning around she stared outside of her window.

The tears continued to fall down her face. She tried her best to remain quiet because she didn't want her sister to hear her cry from her room. Her vision became blurry causing the moon looked to look weird.

Nia then turned back around and closed her eyes. Moments later, she drifted off to sleep.

-

Wednesday, September 4

"Mom, I don't want this," Nia sighed as she looked into the mirror. She was wearing a white wedding dress. It wasn't too fancy, but rather plain and she didn't mind one bit. It was a short sleeve dress that reached all the way to the floor with a long train. In a few moments, she would be walking down the aisle.

"I don't want this either Nia, but there's nothing we can do about it," the Queen said.

"It doesn't seem real. None of this seems real," Nia said. The Queen began to touch up her daughter's hair. "I still can't even believe your father is gone. I miss him so much," she said.

"I miss him too," Elora said. She was sitting in a chair not far away from her sister and mother.

"We just have to believe that things will get better," the Queen said. Nia doubted that things would get better. She believed that this was how she would spend the rest of her life. Her father would've told her to have hope, but she was afraid there was no room for that.

Suddenly, an Elf appeared before them at the door. "We're ready for you," they told them. Nia nodded in thanks.

"Ellania, even though you're not happy, I want you to know that you look beautiful," the Queen said.

"Thank you mother," she responded. So Elora and her mother helped carry Nia's train as they stepped outside of the room. She could hear the music and the Elven priest telling everyone to rise for the entrance of the bride.

As soon as they approached the doors, Nia's stomach churned sickly. Everyone in Aeriodvell was present and all eyes were on her.

As she walked slowly down the aisle, she felt tempted to turn around and run away.

She dreamt of this day far too many times and this was not how she had envisioned it to be. Elora was supposed to be her maid of honour and her flower girls were supposed to be Sharian's nieces, but Othorion refused. She wanted to have an accent of rose gold, but again Othorion refused. She also wanted her favourite sewer to make her dress, but instead, Othorion gave her his late mother's wedding dress.

She also wanted to plan the menu with her fiancée and the festivities with her mother. She wanted her reception to be filled with games and cheer. However, none of her wants and wishes were going to come true.

Suddenly Nia swayed causing an Elf to reach out his hand to prevent her from falling. The music stopped for a couple of seconds. Immediately whispers immersed through the crowd of people. She thanked the Elf and told him that she was ok. She turned around to look at her mother and sister who were walking slowly behind her.

They asked her if she was ok with their eyes. She nodded before turning back around. She wasn't even halfway there and by the looks of it Othorion was getting agitated, so she took a deep breath and continued walking down the aisle.

When she finally made it, Othorion put out his hand offering to help her up onto the platform. She rejected his help and ascended up the steps by herself. She heard him scoff which made her want to crack a smile.

"We are gathered here together for the marriage of Othorion Ornthalas and Ellania Tarathiel," the priest began to say. "This is an important day to-"

"Can you just skip to the vows?" Othorion interrupted the priest. 

The priest motioned the Elf standing next to him to pass him the two flower petals. After their vows, he would give a petal to both the wife and husband. Then they would place it gently on their significant other's neck before sealing it with a kiss. It would then transform into a permanent engraving that would glow until the death of the Elf.

"Hi yio Othorion Ornthalas, uca Ellania Tarathiel gi pa yior lufolly ahhah efa, gi uva umh gi ilh, frin gdes huy firurh, fir paat, fir irsa, fir rekat, fir biirat, em sekcmass umh em daulgd, gi liva umh gi kates, gi haugd hi yio bur?"

(Do you Othorion Ornthalas take Ellania Tarathiel to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, to death do you part?)

Othorion looked deeply into Nia's eyes before turning to look back at the priest. "I do."

"Hi yio Ellania Tarathiel, uca Othorion Ornthalas gi pa yior lufolly ahhah ospumh, gi uva umh gi ilh, frin gdes huy firurh, fir paat, fir irsa, fir rekat, fir biirat, em sekcmass umh em daulgd, gi liva umh gi kates, gi haugd hi yio bur?

(And do you Ellania Tarathiel take Othorion Ornthalas to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, to death do you part?")

Nia looked at the priest, then slowly at Othorion and then at the crowd. Her lips remained shut. Many Elves began to whisper. "Will you hurry up?" Othorion gritted between his teeth.

"I," she began to say. She didn't have to say yes just yet, she wanted to wait until the very last minute. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, she looked to see Othorion giving her the nastiest look, a look of death.

"Say I do Ellania!" he exclaimed.

"I..."

Suddenly the doors opened with force creating a loud sound. Everyone turned to look including Nia. As soon as she saw the Elf standing at the doors, a wave of emotions hit her all at once.


	41. Chapter 41

"Xirus?" Palionourus said aloud. The crowd of Elves began to whisper as he made his way down the aisle.

"Xirus..." Nia muttered underneath her breath. It was like time had stopped. She stared in disbelief as the Elf walked closer and closer to the altar. "Xirus..." she whispered again as she stretched out her hand before slowly putting it back down. Maybe she was dreaming. Maybe there was no Xirus.

"How is t-this even p-possible?" Othorion stammered. He then stretched out his hand to blast Xirus with his powers, but he was unable to.

Xirus threw a rope of fire onto Othorion's body causing him to fall onto his knees. He groaned in pain as the rope of fire secured itself around his body burning him in the process. It was so tight, it prevented him from moving or going anywhere. Many of the Elves watching the scene started to panic causing them to evacuate the room almost immediately. Some Elves stood still knowing that if Xirus needed them, they would fight for their lives.

Xirus then walked towards Othorion slowly. "I don't believe it. T-This isn't possible," Othorion said.

"Do you know what you've done?" Xirus asked him. "You have lost the trust of everyone. No one can trust you anymore."

"I don't need their trust!" Othorion spat at Xirus. "So then how can you lead Aeriodvell when your entire kingdom is afraid of you?" Xirus asked. Othorion kept his mouth shut for once.

"You did this to yourself!" Xirus stated. "NO! YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Othorion yelled in anger.

"No, I did not. Nia was never your girl. You guys were to be engaged, but she never even liked you. You were only friends. Friends don't force love. Friends understand the feelings of one another and respect them. I didn't come to Aeriodvell to steal your title! You were supposed to be the transformed one, but it never happened. Why? Because you changed. You changed for the worse. The King knew that you weren't ready and that you would never be ready. You did this to yourself."

Othorion didn't say a word as he stared at the floor.

"Sometimes, you don't get your way, but so what? You move on. You don't hold onto bitterness, jealousy, and anger and let it get the best of you. You are more than this Othorion," Xirus stated.

Once again, Othorion remained quiet. Out of nowhere, Xirus opened his mouth to say a few more words.

"I forgive you."

Nia looked up after hearing him say those three words. She couldn't believe Xirus had forgiven Othorion despite all the things he had done to him. Othorion then looked up at Xirus in confusion. How could Xirus forgive him? Othorion had killed him twice. Xirus knew how much Othorion despised him and yet he still forgave him. He looked back down feeling angry. Despite how badly he treated him, Xirus wasn't seeking out for revenge. Othorion hated how perfect Xirus was, not even knowing anything about Xirus' past.

Xirus turned around and walked towards Nia who stood there in shock. "Y-You're alive..." she whispered not knowing how to feel.

"Yes, I am," he stated. He opened up his arms to embrace her. She slowly and surely found her way into his arms. She inhaled smelling his familiar scent. She smiled feeling the warmth of his body around hers. "XIRUS! WATCH OUT!" an Elf yelled out of the blue. He turned around to see Othorion with the fiery rope in his hands. He whipped it trying to aim at Xirus, but miserably failed. Xirus touched it making it suddenly disappear, and took out his long sword. He flew over towards Othorion and stabbed him in the stomach.

The sound of the sword piercing through his body caused Nia to bring her hands up to her mouth in horror. "I was going to give you a second chance," Xirus said calmly as he held onto Othorion.

"I d-don't b-believe in s-second c-chances," Othorion slurred as blood came seeping out of his mouth. Xirus sat him down as he hiccuped for air. "I am s-sorry N-Nia. I am-" he began to stammer. Before he could even finish his sentence, he was gone.

Nia felt the silent tears as they dripped down her face. Elora had wrapped her arm around her sister as they both stared at the lifeless body of Othorion. She wasn't crying because she was sad that he had died. She was sad that his life had ended like this. She remembered the laughter they shared together when they were young. She remembered training with Othorion all day long. He was the brother she had always wished for. She never thought he would end up like this. She thought he would become a mighty warrior one day. Perhaps a leader of a great army.

Xirus got up from his crouching position as his eyes remained on Othorion. He didn't plan to kill him even though he was very angry. He was going to give him a second chance. Othorion wasn't supposed to free himself from the rope of fire. He wasn't supposed to fight back. He wasn't supposed to try and hurt Xirus after he had told him he forgave him. 

Xirus sighed before he kindly asked an Elf to take Othorion's body and prepare it for burial. He watched as the Elf carried Othorion's body out of the room. 

"How are you alive?" she asked Xirus. "I thought you died. He said he killed you," she told him.

"I don't know either Nia. One second I was drowning, and the next I was resurfacing," he responded. She embraced him yet again for the second time. "Please don't leave me again," she said.

"I won't. I am not going anywhere."

"XIRUS!" the boys all yelled before embracing him in one giant hug. "Hey guys!" he responded back with a chuckle. "You must be a God! This is your second time resurrecting," Dior exclaimed.

Xirus chuckled before his eyes moved landed on the Queen. She stood there with a faint smile on her lips. He walked over to her slowly and bowed. "I am sorry for your loss," Xirus said as he rose. "Thank you Xirus for all that you've done. King Klaern would've been proud," she said.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but I overheard the two Elves who were followers of Othorion say that they were going to leave Aeriodvell and go back to the Island of the Dark Elves," an Elf standing to the side said.

"Where are they?


	42. Chapter 42

"What did you give the Dark Elves?" Xirus asked them.

"Nothing. We didn't give them anything!" one of them exclaimed. Xirus took a step closer to the Elf. "You better spit out the truth right now because I don't think you want to know what's going to happen if you don't," he stated.

The Elf looked past Xirus to see Nia glaring at him. For a brief moment, he remembered what had happened to his friends. He gulped before turning to look back at Xirus. "We gave them a flower," he said very slowly.

"Ok, but what flower?" Nia asked.

"The Triesa flower."

Everyone gasped in horror. Nia's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why would you do such a thing?" she exclaimed. "That was the only way they were going to help us!" the other Elf added.

Xirus shook his head in disappointment. The Triesa flower was one of the most powerful flowers in the world. That flower had to ability to allow one to travel to different worlds such as the werewolf world, vampire world, and many more. "Get them out of here," he said. Immediately two Elves grabbed them by the arms and dragged them away.

"We need to go to the Island of the Dark Elves now. It might be too late, but it's worth a shot," Xirus suggested.

"Yeah, let's take the Dragons," Elora suggested.

-

The Dark Elves in the villages looked up into the sky to see seven dragons flying above them. Some of them ran inside their homes and took out their weapons. After doing that, they began to run in the direction the dragons were flying in.

"Ny luhy! a uva kinbumy," one of the dark Elves told Queen Kali. She looked out of the castle window to see for herself.

(My lady! We have company!)

Xirus and his friends landed on the ground before sliding off of their dragons. At this time, many Dark Elves from the villages had crowded around them. Then, out of nowhere, a group of Elves took their long spears and assembled themselves in a circle around Xirus and his friends.

Xirus gripped tighter onto his sword. Suddenly, the castle doors opened revealing Queen Kali with four Elves by her side. "E's ulret," she told her men. They stepped away from Xirus and his friends before placing the ends of their spears on the ground.

(It's alright.)

What is it? What do you want?" she asked them. "We need you to return the Triesa flower. It won't be of any good use in your hands," Xirus told her.

The Queen began to laugh. "And why would I just hand it to you? What do I get in return?" she asked with a smirk.

"You get to live," Nia butted in. Nia could feel the fiery rage bubbling in her stomach. She was tempted to wipe the smirk off of her face.

Queen Kali's eyes moved over to Nia. She scoffed at her before stepping down the stairs.

"It's a dangerous flower. Both you and I know this," Xirus told her. Queen Kali walked over to Xirus and placed her hand on his shoulder. She then began to trace her fingers across his skin feeling his muscles.

Nia instantly hissed which made Xirus tap her lightly on the arm. "I guess you're the King now huh? Poor Othorion. He almost made it," she said while removing her hand.

She then looked at the Elemental Elves and Elora who were all gripping their weapons while giving her a stern look.

"Fine. I'll give you the flower. Just make sure you never step foot on my island again! I don't ever want one of your pathetic Elves asking for my help!" She then whispered a couple of words before moving her finger in a circular motion. Out of nowhere, a black small bag appeared before them as it floated in the air. She took it in her hand and handed it over to Xirus.

Once he had obtained it, he opened it up to double-check. "Thank you," he told her. "Oh don't mention it," she said with a smile. And with that, they were off.

"That seemed way easier than I expected it to be," Kai said once they arrived back at Aeriodvell.

"Right? It was like she knew we were going to ask for the flower back. I'm surprised she didn't fight us," Elora said.

As Xirus' friends conversed, he couldn't help but ponder about what had just happened. He had just asked the Dark Elf Queen for the flower back, and she gave it to him.

It seemed too easy just like Kai said. Xirus had a feeling she had something up her sleeve. There was no way she wasn't planning something.

Maybe she had kept some of its leaves. Maybe she had already made a potion with it. Whatever it was that she was planning, Xirus hoped it wasn't going to cost her her life.


	43. Chapter 43

Everything was back to normal. There was no more evil Othorion ruling over Aeriodvell and the Dark Elf Queen was no longer in possession of the flower.

When they arrived back, everyone in Aeriodvell was shouting with joy. The weather was no longer cloudy and cold. The air was nice and warm and the sun was shining so brightly. The sky was light again and the greenery of Aeriodvell thrived with life.

Midnight ran over to Xirus happily which made him smile. "Hey girl," he said as he massaged his hands into her fur. The Queen walked forward and hugged both of her daughters. Xirus smiled as he stared at them.

"So... who is going to be the king now?" Carnelian asked. They all looked around before turning their gaze to Xirus. "What?" he asked in confusion. They all began to smile.

Xirus' POV

"Oh no. Nope. There's no way. I'm not qualified," I told them. A king? Me? What were they thinking?

"Xirus, you are the only qualified Elf!" the Queen said.

"Queen! You should rule Aeriodvell!" I suggested. "I am getting old and plus a ruler needs someone who can help them," she said.

I looked over at Nia who had flushed cheeks. I stared at her thinking about the Queen's suggestion. 

A few months ago I was working full-time at a bar. I had nightmares every night. I had an abusive guardian and I was lonely. 

Now I was an Elf. Not just any Elf, but the most powerful Elf in the world. My wings had grown back and I had powers. I was able to mould myself into any of the four elements. I had lightning and acid powers as well. I had perfect aim and perfect fighting skills. I had amazing friends and a beautiful girl who loved me.

I had an amazing life.

This is your calling.

I felt my heart skip a beat after hearing the voice in my head. I haven't heard her for quite a long time. This was my calling? 

I looked at my friends and then at the Queen. I looked at all the other Elves who stood there in anticipation. It was true. They needed a ruler. Even though the Queen said I was the most qualified Elf to lead Aeriodvell, I still didn't feel so sure.

It hasn't even been a year yet. All these Elves before me have been Elves for centuries! They know a whole lot more than me because they have experience. I wasn't the most qualified Elf here.

"Make s-sure you protect Nia, m-my family, and Aeriodvell." The King's words echoed through my head. 

"I will protect them with all my heart."

That was my response. I told him that I would protect them. That I would protect everyone. I made an oath. A vow. A promise. I looked up into the sky before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath inhaling the beautiful scent of Aeriodvell.

After doing so, I opened my eyes and looked at the Queen. "I will lead Aeriodvell with integrity and honour. I don't think I am the 'most qualified Elf', but I am willing to give it a shot. And plus, it shouldn't be too bad. I have the boys to help me, you to instruct me, and Nia to share the throne with.

Nia looked up at me in surprise. "What..." she said slowly. I walked up to her and kissed her. The boys immediately started to whistle. After kissing her, I moved my lips away from hers. "I want you... forever," I told her with sincerity. "Well, you have me... forever," she responded with a smile. She then leaned in for another kiss. 

Immediately everyone around us began to cheer. The Elemental Elves began to make designs with their elements. Flashes of fire and splashes of water appeared in the sky. Flowers began to fall as well. Yellow, pink, and purple. The warm wind blew against us as we all celebrated with happiness.

I then leaned in to whisper into Nia's ear. "Someone wants to marry you. Will you say yes?" She smiled before leaning in to whisper back into my ear. "Hmm, only if the someone is you."

-

Sunday, March 15

Nia stood in front of the mirror smiling. "You look beautiful Ellania," her mother said as she admired her daughter. She was wearing the dress that her favourite sewer made specifically just for her. It was a long beautiful gown with specks of rose gold on the hems. It was perfect. "Thanks, mom. You do too," she complimented her Mother.

"Are you excited?" Elora asked.

"Yes. I am finally getting married and it's exactly how I want it to be," Nia responded. "I just wish father was here to witness it," she said feeling a bit of sad.

"But he is. His spirit is here with us," the Queen said. Nia smiled after hearing her mother's words. 

Suddenly, Sharian's nieces came running in with their dresses on. "E terls!" Nia exclaimed as she crouched down to give them a hug. "I, yio pigd liic si pauoefol," she exclaimed in awe.

(Hi girls!)

(Wow, you both look so beautiful.)

"Gdumc yio bremkass Ellania!" they both said together. "E liva yior hrass!" the youngest one exclaimed. "Yio liic si bray!"

(Thank you Princess Ellania!)

(You look so pretty!)

(I love your dress!)

"Gdumc yio," Nia responded. "Ura yio terls rauhy?"

(Thank you.)

(Are you girls ready?)

"Yas!"

(Yes!)

Then they all exited the room and made their way towards the big doors.


	44. Chapter 44

It was finally Nia's turn to walk down the aisle. With her mother's arm around hers, they turned the corner and entered the ceremonial room. Everyone was standing up. They all stared at her in awe. She wasn't nervous, but rather excited. She looked at the end of the aisle to see Xirus standing there with a huge smile plastered on his face. She smiled back at him as she continued making her way to the altar.

It was her first time seeing the decorations. She was impressed. It looked way better than she had imagined it. There were many flowers hanging from the ceiling. The roof was covered in sparkles. Rose-gold sparkles. The curtains were open wide allowing the sunlight to enter into the room. It brought luminance. There was beautiful soft music playing in the background. Music from a violin.

It was perfect. Everything was perfect. She finally arrived at the altar. She told herself she wasn't going to get emotional because there was no need to.

Her mother handed her over to Xirus before making her way to her seat.

"A ura ull tugdatah ata gitagdat im gdes pauoefol nirmemt gi sura da liva if Bremkass Ellania Tarathiel umh Xirus. Gdes es u huy if kalaprueim. I alvas ell pa jiememt gitagdat gi nuca u omeim. u omeim if liva umh grosg. yio nuy ull pa sauah."

(We are all gathered here together on this beautiful morning to share the love of Princess Ellania and Xirus. This is a day of celebration. Two Elves will be joining together to make a union. A union of love and trust. You may all be seated.)

Everyone took their seats.

"Hi yio Xirus uca Ellania Tarathiel gi pa yior lufolly ahhah efa, gi uva umh gi ilh, frin gdes huy firurh, fir paat, fir irsa, fir rekat, fir biirat, em sekcmass umh em daulgd, gi liva umh gi kates, gi haugd hi yio bur?"

(Do you Xirus take Ellania Tarathiel to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, to death do you part?)

"I do," he said with a smile.

"Umh hi yio Ellania Tarathiel uca Xirus gi par yior lufolly ahhah ospumh, gi uva umh gi ilh, frin gdes huy firurh, fir paat, fir irsa, fir rekat, fir biirat, em sekcmass umh em daulgd, gi liva umh gi kates, gi haugd hi yio bur?

(And do you Ellania Tarathiel take Xirus to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, to death do you part?)

Nia stared at Xirus through her veil with twinkly eyes. "I do."

The priest then handed Xirus a black petal and gave Nia a white petal. "Xirus, yio nuy mi saul yior brinesa."

(You may now seal your promise.)

So Xirus walked around Nia and touched the back of her neck with his finger. He then placed the black petal gently on her. It instantly stuck to her skin. He leaned in and kissed it. Immediately it began to glow before transforming into a tattoo. Sharian told Xirus that no tattoo was ever the same. Xirus stared at her neck admiring the beautiful black engraving that was now permanent.

Moments later, it was Nia's turn. "Bremkass Ellania, yio nuy mi saul yior brinesa." She took the petal and walked around Xirus. Placing the white petal on his neck, she then sealed it with a kiss. She watched as it also glowed before transforming itself into a tattoo. "I love yours," Nia said in awe.

(Princess Elannia, you may now seal your promise.)

After she was done, she walked back to her spot.

"Mi gdu yio uva paam sbereoully eah, Xirus, yio nuy mi cess da preha!"

(Now that you have been spiritually tied, Xirus, you may now kiss the bride!)

Xirus took a step forward and removed the veil from Nia's face. He then leaned in and kissed her passionately.

Everyone started to clap with excitement. People began to shout for joy. Xirus then lifted Nia up and hugged her closely. She giggled feeling her feet come off of the floor. She was officially married to the love of her life.

"LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!" Dior yelled.

-  
They partied hard. That night they had a reception that lasted ten hours. There was an abundant amount of food and wine that the guests delightfully enjoyed.

An orchestra had played their famous pieces and the children as well performed several dances. They played many games and even had contests. Nia couldn't stop smiling throughout the night.

Xirus was so thankful that he had a family to celebrate his wedding with. Despite them not being physically related, he considered every Elf in Aeriodvell as his family; especially the boys, Elora, the Queen, and Nia.

He never expected that he would get married so soon. The thought had crossed his mind when he was a human, but he thought it would be somewhere far in the future.

Well, he thought wrong.

He knew he was going to enjoy being married to Nia. After all, it just made their relationship official. Nothing would change. She would still be his best friend, his love, and his joy. And he intended on making her happy for the rest of their lives.


	45. Chapter 45

Friday, March 20

It had been under a week since our marriage. The partying hadn't stopped. In fact, tonight was the night. I was going to be crowned King. King of Aeridovell.

"You're going to be King, Xirus! Everything is happening so fast," Nia told me. It was currently the afternoon and we were on the Island with the yummy fruits. Nia and I sat on the beachside while Shadow hunted for food in the water.

"Same. It feels like yesterday we met each other," I said. I could see Nia smile from the corner of my eye. "What was the first thing that popped into your head when you saw me?" she asked.

"Well, when I saw the number of books you had, I came to the conclusion that you loved to read."

Nia laughed. "Well, yes I do," she responded. "And plus the leisure books on the human side are so much cooler than our leisure books here. I've also read them all, so maybe that's why."

"You've read them all?" I had been to the library in the castle and it was massive. There was no way Nia had read them all.

"Well yes. I've been alive for more than a thousand years and also I am a fast reader," she said.

"True," I commented. In a thousand years, one could achieve so many things. Things that are impossible to achieve for a human.

"What were your first impressions of me?" I asked her. "I thought you were handsome. In fact, I thought you were even more handsome when we started to get to know each other. I'm pretty sure I developed a liking to you before you even came to Aeriodvell," she confessed.

"Awh," I swooned before pinching her cheeks. She swatted my hand away with a pout. "Do you remember when I told you something came up so I couldn't hang out with you?"

"Yes."

"Well, I had a feeling I was going to get caught so I made a decision. I wasn't going to go back to the human's side. I was really sad because I thought I would never see you again... but then you came here and I was happy again. My selfish self didn't want you to go back to the human's side," she said.

"You're cute," I told her. "And you weren't going to say goodbye?" I asked her. "I didn't want to tell you that I was leaving for good because I was afraid that you would be mad. I'm sorry," she confessed.

"I wouldn't have been mad, but rather disappointed," I told her. "Hmmm," she hummed. "Well, I am glad that you somehow ended up here."

"Me too," I added.

We stayed silent for a few moments more. "You know, you didn't have to tell me you had a rough past. I already knew," she said.

"Really?"

"Yes. I could see it in your eyes," she said while turning to look at me. "I wish you didn't have to go through all that you went through."

"Yeah, I used to think the same way, but I think my past has made me into the Elf that I am today," I explained.

Nia crawled over to me and took my hands in hers. "I know you don't like to talk about, so let's not. You can tell me all about your past, if you want, another day. Let's just think about the present, " she suggested.

"Yes. Let's do that." I sat there staring at Nia feeling glad that she was my best friend. I wouldn't want it any other way.

"I love you."

"I love you too Xirus."

She then rested her head against my lap. I began to massage my fingers into her hair. Suddenly, I remembered something. "I just realized we still haven't made our handshake yet," I told her. 

She immediately sat up and in the process hit her head against my forehead. "Let's do it now!" she exclaimed in excitement.

"Ah!" I groaned feeling a bit of pain. "Ooh I'm sorry," she pouted before placing a kiss on my forehead.

After telling her I was fine, we stood up and positioned ourselves in front of each other. "So basically we create any actions we want and do them in order. It will be our symbolic greeting," I told her.

So we comprised a handshake. We added some hand taps, wing flaps, and magic. "This is so much fun!" Nia exclaimed like a little girl. I laughed seeing how excited she was. After we had added a couple more actions, I assumed we were finished making our handshake.

"Hmm, not quite. We forgot this!" Nia then leaned in and placed a kiss on my lips. I stood there stunned. She smiled before suggesting we start again. We started over and when we got to the last part, we both leaned in and kissed each other.

"Now it's perfect," she exclaimed.


	46. Chapter 46

Saturday, March 21

"You look absolutely stunning," I told Nia. She was wearing a beautiful blue gown that reached the floor. It had an accent of gold. The sewer was indeed very good at his job.

"Why thank you, kind sir," she joked back. "Are you ready to see it?" she asked anxiously. It was around 9 am and I had just finished lifting weights. We were in our bedroom getting ready for our coronation.

"It must look really nice since you can't stop talking about it," I told her.

"It does! You're going to look like royalty once you put it on," she exclaimed. "I mean you already look like royalty..." she muttered.

I smiled hearing her last sentence. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "I'm coming!" Nia exclaimed.

I sat on our bed as I watched her run over towards the door. She peeked her head through before turning back around with a large smile on her face. "You should probably shower first," she said while walking over towards me. "You stink," she whispered.

"Hey!" I exclaimed as she pulled me up and shoved me into our bathroom. After shutting the door, she yelled, "you can see it after you shower!"

-

"Okay keep your eyes closed," Nia said as she directed me to the bed. I had just finished showering and was now ready to get dressed.

"They're closed," I responded. I felt her hand leave mine and began to hear shuffling. "Okay three, two, one. Open them!" she exclaimed. I opened my eyes to see her holding my outfit.

"Woah," I gasped as admired the piece of art in front of me.

It was a dark navy suit that sparkled in the light. Most Kings wore dresses, but that wasn't really my thing. On the jacket were golden designs that interlaced with each other and on the sleeves were specks of gold. And to top it off, I was going to wear it with a golden cloak.

"It's really nice," I admitted. "But, this must be worth so much. I could just wear something else," I suggested.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous Xirus. A royal should be treated like royalty," Nia exclaimed. "Here, put it on."

So I undressed and put on the suit. When I was finished, Nia gasped. "Wow! You look so good!" she exclaimed. "Now all you need is your cloak." Nia went into our closet for a brief moment before returning with it. She then placed it around my neck before stepping back to look at me.

"Look in the mirror!" I walked towards our tall mirror to see for myself. "I like it," I said.

"So do I. Now I think it's time."

-

As I stood there patiently waiting for the doors to open, I started to feel anxious. I wasn't a fan of attention, so this was going to be interesting.

Nia went before me and now it was my turn. After all, even though she was already a princess, it was also her coronation as well because she was going to become Queen.

Suddenly the doors opened. I looked up to see an equal number of Elven soldiers standing at their posts on each side of the silky red carpet. As soon as I passed two of them, they would bring their swords up and smash it against the other Elf's sword to create an X. I descended down the red stairs with my head held high. As I made my way to the front, I could see the priest and Nia as they stood at the end of the aisle watching me. The Elves of Aeriodvell were split into two halves and they all watched as I took my steps. This didn't happen in silence. As I made my way to the priest, there were trumpets playing in the background.

Once I finally got to the platform, I looked over at Nia anxiously. She smiled indicating that everything would be alright. Once I took my place beside her, the ceremony started.

"A ura tugdatah ata gdes nirmemt fir da amgdrimanam if Xirus umh bremkass Ellania. Xirus ell pa krimah cemt Xirus if uateihvall umh bremkass Ellania ell pa krimah qoaam allumeu if uateihvall."

(We are gathered here this morning for the enthronement of Xirus and Princess Ellania. Xirus will be crowned King Xirus of Aeriodvell and Princess Ellania will be crowned Queen Ellania of Aeriodvell.)

I suddenly felt a warm hand clutch mine. I squeezed her hand back. In fact, we took turns squeezing each other's hands. If anyone was paying close attention, they would think we were being childish. I didn't care though because it somehow made me feel calmer than before.

"Da brasam Qoaam us latully sgabbah him frin da gdrima umh es ulliemt at fersg huotat gi uca at bluka. A ell mi patem egd da bremkass' krimemt."

(The present Queen has legally stepped down from the throne and is allowing her first daughter to take her place. We will now begin with the Princess' crowning.)

I let go of Nia's hand and watched as she made her way to the priest. She knelt down before him with her head low. The priest began to bless her.

"Nuy da Tihs upiva brigak yio us ior Qoaam. Nuy yio lauh ulimt da seha if yior ospumh egd eshin, cmilahta, umh emgatrey. A ell imior yio us ior palivah Qoaam umh ell rasbak yio umh yior gdrima. Nuy da Tihs plass yio egd limt-rolemt."

(May the Gods above protect you as our Queen. May you lead along the side of your husband with wisdom, knowledge, and integrity. We will honour you as our beloved Queen and will respect you and your throne. May the Gods bless you with long-ruling.)

He dipped his thumb in a silver powder before swiping it on Nia's forehead.

The priest then removed the golden crown from its cushion and gently placed it on Nia's head. Then he was handed the golden staff and tapped it lightly on Nia's right shoulder and then her left. He then handed it over to her. "Uresa Qoaam Ellania if Aeriodvell."

(Arise Queen Ellania of Aeriodvell.)

She arose slowly and the horn sounded.

"A ell mi patem egd da Xirus' krimemt." I made my way to the middle and knelt before the priest.

(We will now proceed with the crowning of Xirus.)

"Nuy da Tihs upiva brigak yio us ior Cemt. Nuy yio lauh ulimt da seha if yior efa egd eshin, cmilahta, umh emgatrey. A ell imior yio us ior palivah Cemt umh ell rasbak yio umh yior gdrima. Nuy da Tihs plass yio egd limt-rolemt."

(May the Gods above protect you as our King. May you lead along the side of your wife with wisdom, knowledge, and integrity. We will honour you as our beloved King and will respect you and your throne. May the Gods bless you with long-ruling.)

He then, like before, dipped his thumb in the silver powder and swiped it across my forehead.

I then felt the heaviness of the crown as the priest placed it on my head. I now had the weight of Aeriodvell on my shoulders. Then I felt the staff touch my right shoulder and then my left. Then, the priest then gave me the staff.

"Uresa cemt Xirus if Aeriodvell."

(Arise King Xirus of Aeriodvell.)

After hearing my official title, I arose slowly. As I looked past the priest, I could see all of Aeriodvell. The villages, greenery, and water. The dragons flying off in a distance. The birds as they took flight and the animals running through the valleys.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud horn filled the air. There was no turning back. I was now King of Aeriodvell, and I intended to live up to the title.

"ALL HAIL KING XIRUS!" the priest exclaimed.

"ALL HAIL KING XIRUS! ALL HAIL KING XIRUS!" I turned around and watched the crowds of Elves as they all chanted my name. 

"ALL HAIL QUEEN ELLANIA! ALL HAIL QUEEN ELLANIA!"

I turned to Nia and opened my hand indicating her to come stand next to me. She walked over and placed her hand in mine.

"LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" the Elves continued shouting.

"Long live the Queen," I told Nia. She immediately responded back with a smile dancing on her lips. "Long live the King."


	47. Chapter 47

Two Years Later - Saturday, March 26

"Xirus look! There's a new fruit. I've never seen this one before!" Nia exclaimed. I turned around and flew over towards her. "Try it."

She brought the fruit to my mouth. After biting into it, I began to chew. Immediately a burst of different unique flavours began to dance on my palate. I widened my eyes not knowing how to express the taste in words. "It's tasty right?" Nia exclaimed.

"It's so good! I think this might be my favourite!" I told her. She then took a bite and immediately her eyes widened. "Oh, this is definitely my favourite too! I am going to bring two home. Elora is going to freak out when she tries it."

When we were finally finished picking some fruits, we returned to our picnic set up on the sandy beach. It was just the two of us and Shadow. We had been so busy within the last couple of months, that we barely even had time for ourselves. It was nice to be alone. Especially on our favourite Island.

Nia took out the food and drinks, and we immediately began to eat. She made delicious meat sandwiches, fish snacks, and cheese. She also brought some wine and juice.

After we were finished eating, we tidied up and relaxed.

"Xirus... I have to tell you something," Nia said out of the blue. I turned to look at her to see that she was biting her lip and looking at the hem of her skirt. "What's up?" I asked her.

She then crawled over and whispered in my ear. "I am pregnant."

It was at that moment that I felt my heart skip a beat. There was no way I heard her properly. "What?" I asked in confusion. Nia smiled before whispering in my ear again. "We're going to have a baby."

"WHAT?" I yelled. "Shh!" she replied with a smile before placing her finger on my lips. "You're pregnant?" I asked with a shaky voice.

She nodded her head very slowly. Immediately I jumped up and began to run across the beach. Shadow lifted her head up in confusion. "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!" I screamed. Suddenly a flash of lightning appeared in the sky. "Oh my gosh, Xirus!" Nia laughed.

"WOO HOO!" I yelled. I couldn't believe it. We were going to have a child. I then turned around and ran towards Nia. I picked her up and spun her around. "We're going to have a baby!" I exclaimed. Nia repeated my words in happiness. After I was done spinning Nia, I let her down and kissed her passionately.

"I love you so much," I sighed in between our kisses. "I love you too," she responded. I finally let go of her still trying to process everything. I, Xirus, was going to be a father. I couldn't believe it. 

"How far along are you?"

"5 months!"

I suddenly began to feel my eyes water. I still couldn't believe it. "Are you crying Xirus?" Nia asked in surprise. "I've never seen you cry. Now you're going to make me cry," she stated as she wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm still in shock." I then placed my hand over her belly. "We're going to have a child..." I whispered.

"Yes, we are."

"When should we tell the others?" I asked her. "We can tell them today, even though I am pretty sure Mother already knows," Nia laughed.

-

That night

I opened my eyes to see three different worlds displayed before me. The Vampire world, the Werewolf world, and the Elf world. I looked around and noticed that I was sitting on a throne. I turned to my right. There was a woman. She was dark like me and her hair was white as snow. Her hair was flowing in the wind. She looked angelic. In fact, she didn't look human.

"Isn't it beautiful," she said. I looked back at the worlds and nodded. They all looked peaceful.

I then turned back to look at her for the second time. Where was I and who was sitting next to me?

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. I was now on land looking up. There was a huge rock set before me. I continued staring at it. Out of nowhere, a dragon appeared before me. I took a step back in fear. This wasn't just any dragon. It had two heads. One half of the dragon was black and the other white.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the woman asked sounding concerned. I shook my head realizing I was back where I was before. She finally turned to look at me. I gasped in shock. She had grey eyes, but that's not why I was shocked. I was surprised because the woman looked exactly like me. "Who are y-you?" I asked with a stutter.

She laughed. "What do you mean 'who are you?' I am your sister."

I awoke sweating profusely. I ripped off the blanket from my body and got up from our bed. I then rushed to the kitchen and grabbed some water. "Xirus..." I heard Nia groan from under the covers. "Are y-you ok?" she asked. I walked back to our bed and sat down. "I'm fine. It was just a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she mumbled. "What was your dream about?"

"I saw a woman... and she l-looked just like me..." I stammered.

"Y-You have a sister?" Nia asked. "That's the thing. I don't have a sister. I don't have any siblings or cousins. I don't even have uncles, aunties, or grandparents."

"That's weird," she grumbled.

I got up and walked towards our window. With my hands leaning on it, I sighed. 

When I was younger, my parents told me several times that we had no family. We didn't even have many pictures of ourselves. It didn't make sense. How could I have no family? Everyone who asked about it thought it was weird too, but I just brushed it to the side. 

But that wasn't the only thing that didn't make sense. I remembered the Myth the boys told me about before I was turned into an Elf. The myth of the Two-Headed Dragon.

My head suddenly began to hurt. Nothing was making sense.

"Come back to bed Xirus. We can talk about it tomorrow."


	48. Chapter 48

"A sister?" Dior asked. "But I thought you said you didn't have any family."

"Yeah. I don't. At least that's what my parents told me," I said. "So then how are you sure this girl is your sister?" Palinourus asked.

"She looked like me and she said that she was my sister."

"But it's just a dream... it's probably not real," Elora added. It was at that moment, that I wanted to tell them about the voice in my head. Even Nia didn't know about it, but I decided not to. "I know it was just a dream, but I have a feeling it was real."

"Hmmm. Is that all you saw?" Carnelian asked. "Well... I also saw a two-headed dragon..." I added.

Carnelian and Palinourus both gasped at the same time. "The Two-Headed Dragon?" Kai asked sounding shocked.

"Half of its body was white and the other half was black." 

Everyone remained quiet as they pondered over what I had just said. "That definitely sounds significant. Wait... maybe the Gods are trying to tell you something," Elora said.

"Perhaps. But what on earth would they be trying to tell me?" I asked.

"I don't know. Maybe 'hey Xirus! you're going to meet your sister soon and you're also going to see a two-headed dragon,' " Carnelian said. I laughed at his humour.

"Well, I think there's no need to worry about your dream. Maybe the Gods are trying to tell you something, but we don't know for certain," Nia said.

"Yeah. I am not going to worry. I just thought it was weird," I admitted. I knew for certain that someone was trying to tell me something. Whether it was the Gods or the female voice in my head. I didn't want to think about it too much, but I knew that it was important. 

-

That afternoon, I took a visited the library. I tried my best to resist the urge to research my dream's significance, but I failed miserably. As soon as I entered the library, a group of Elves who sat at a nearby table got up and bowed. 

I chuckled awkwardly before nodded at them. I then went straight to the 'Myths' section. Immediately, a female Elf nearby, who stood in front of a bookshelf, closed her book and bowed. Did they seriously have to bow every single time they saw me?

I then flew up to the top of the shelf and took out two books. Spotting an empty table, I sat down. As soon as I opened the first book, one of the librarians walked over to me.

"Good afternoon my King," she said after bowing. "Do you want to move to that room over there so you can have your privacy?"

I shook my head in response. "No, I am good right here. Thank you very much." 

She bowed again and left. I finally began to look for information about the Two-Headed Dragon. After looking through both books and not finding anything, I put them away.

I then remembered the Piic if Grogds. The Book of Truth. Getting up fast, I walked towards its room and opened it using my magic. This room wasn't opened to the public. In fact, the former council, the boys, and Nia and her mother and I were the only people who had access to it. 

After entering it, I walked straight to the book and turned to page 24. I gasped in horror. Someone had ripped out the page. The page about The Two-Headed Dragon.

I stood there in confusion. "What?" 

-

"Where is it?" The former member of the council looked at me in confusion. "Where is what?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. Where is the page from the Book of Truths?"

His eyes widened and his lips parted. "H-How did you know it was m-me?" he asked. "That's irrelevant right now. Where is the page and why do you have it?" I asked sternly.

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I am sorry my King. I wasn't trying to cause any harm, but I've been troubled recently."

"Troubled by what?" I asked him.

"The Two-Headed Dragon. I know it's meaning," he said.

"Well... go on," I urged him. 

"It represents two people. They will rule the world," he said. I blinked a couple of times trying to process what he had just said. "How do y-you know this?" I asked him slowly.

"I just know."

"That's not an answer. Who told you this? Where did you get this information from?"

He sighed before taking a deep breath. "Many centuries ago, I met an Elf. She wasn't just any Elf. I had never seen her before and I am pretty sure the Gods sent her," he explained.

"What did she tell you?"

"Exactly what I told you. I kept it a secret for a very long time. Eventually, when I became a member of the council, I told the King. King Klaern didn't believe in many of the myths so he thought I was making it up. After I told him about it, I began to have dreams. Dreams about my experience. It made me go crazy, so I kept pestering the King about it. He got so fed up that he told me if I continued talking about it he would remove me from the council. So I stopped talking about it and I stopped having dreams. But last night, I had the dream again. I figured if I told you about it, you wouldn't listen to me either."

"But I still don't understand. Why did you rip out the page?" I asked him. "It wasn't me who ripped it out. It was King Klaern," he said.

"What?" I asked feeling surprised.

"He ripped it out because it was driving him crazy. He told me to look after it, knowing that if he destroyed it he would've been punished severely. But it was ripped out of the book many decades ago, so how do you know I have it?"

"As I said before, that's irrelevant. May I have it please?"

I watched as he took out the page from the pocket of his dress. "Here," he said while handing it over to me.

"From this point on you and the other former members of the council will be stripped from having the privilege of entering that room. You are no longer relevant when it comes to the duties of the kingdom. You and the others will return to living your normal lives with your family as members of Aeriodvell."

"Yes, my King," he said trembling. "This doesn't mean I won't ask you for help when I need it, so please expect my request for you in the future. You may leave," I told him. 

He bowed before turning around. I watched as he walked away from me. "Wait!" I called out. He turned around looking perplexed. "Um, d-do you ever hear voices in your head? A female voice?"

He shook his head in response. "No, my King."

"And did you ever see that female Elf again?"

"No. I did not."


	49. Chapter 49

Thursday, March 31

"FORWARD! BACKWARD! FORWARD! BACKWARD!"

I walked around the army of Elves as they followed orders from one of their commanders. They lunged forward driving their weapons straight and then lunged backward retrieving their spears in a swift motion. "FORWARD! BACKWARD!" There were around five thousand High Elves standing before me. They were practicing their formations. 

I walked around feeling impressed. These Elves were very good. The Avariels and the Elementals were also very good. However, I wanted them to be the very best. So if we ever had opposition in the future they would be ready. We would be ready. 

"Xirus."

I stopped walking dead in my tracks and inclined my ear. 

"Xirus."

Someone was calling me. It was a female voice, but it wasn't the same voice I usually heard in my head. And for some odd reason, it was like she was speaking aloud. Not in my head, but as if she was here physically. 

I turned around and looked into the forest. It was coming from there. "Are you ok my King?" one of the commanders asked me. "Yes... please continue. I will be back in a moment," I told him. 

I walked away from the soldiers and made my way into the forest. With my hand clutching my sword, I waited for the voice again.

"Xirus."

"Where are you?" I called out. As I began to walk deeper and deeper into the forest, it grew darker despite it being so light outside. The trees seemed crowded as well. I wasn't a fan of lurking in dark, sketchy places, but someone was out there.

"Over here."

I turned left and began to walk in that direction. After walking for a couple of minutes, I turned around hoping I didn't go too far into the forest. Unfortunately, I couldn't even see the border. I had gone too far. I remained still waiting to hear the voice again. Moments had passed and still nothing. However, despite not hearing the woman's voice, I wasn't hear anything at all. Not the sound of birds chirping, or the wind blowing. Not even the sound of the animals that lived in the trees.

"Xirus."

She was behind me. I could see her from the corner of my eye. In hesitation, I slowly turned around. 

It was a female Elf. I had never seen her before in my life. She had white hair that reached down to her belly. Her eyes were an emerald green. On her head was a silver crown and on her neck was a silver necklace with a small crystal pendant. She was also wearing a long white dress. She wasn't from Aeriodvell. Perhaps she was the Elf that the former council member had encountered many centuries years ago.

"W-Who are you?" I asked with a stammer.

"I am a messenger."

"Who sent you?"

"They live up above."

I scrunched my eyebrows. They? Up above? Was she talking about the Gods?

"I am here to tell you something important, Xirus. Something is coming. Something that you are not prepared for and she is not prepared for."

"Nia?" I asked. Would our kingdom be at war soon?

No. Your sister, Leilani.

My eyes widened. I knew it. She was real. She existed and her name was Leilani. 

"You need to go back to the human side and warn her. You won't be able to defeat them alone. You need her and she needs you."

"Who is them?" I asked.

"The enemy."

My throat suddenly became dry. I suddenly recalled bad memories of Jason beating me. The feeling of fear, pain, and anger rushed through my body all at once. I told myself I was never going back. I clenched my fists as my body began to shake. "I c-can't go back to the human s-side," I stuttered. "I don't belong there."

"Leilani is there."

I threw myself onto the ground in defeat. In denial. "But I am not ready. I d-don't think I will ever be," I sighed. 

"You don't have much time. You must hurry before it's too late."

"But I can't go back there!" I shouted. I slammed my fist against the ground and immediately a pit was formed.

"You are ready, Xirus."

I placed both of my hands on my head as I panted in despair. Why was this happening? 

"How will I know where to find her?" I asked while getting up. But to my surprise, the Elven goddess was gone. 

"Hello?" I called out into the forest. 

"You will know."

-

"What do you mean you're going back to the human's side?" Nia asked me. I had gathered my friends together so I could tell them everything.

"I met someone. I think she was a female Elven goddess. She told me that there's something coming and that I need to go warn my sister Leilani. She lives back on the human side," I told them.

"So you really do have a sister," Elora stated. "Is she human?"

Wow. I didn't even think about that. Was she human? Maybe she was, but the way the Elven goddess talked about her made me think she wasn't. She said we needed each other. What did she mean by that? "I am not sure," I finally said.

"She must be so pretty," Nia gushed. "But what do you mean something is coming..." she asked me. "I'm not sure. She didn't tell me, but I know it won't be good," I responded.

"Well, you can't go alone. We'll come to make sure nothing happens to you," Palinourus said.

"Pal, nothing is going to happen to him. He's Xirus," Kai said. I chuckled after hearing Kai's words. He was right, I would be fine. If I needed to use my powers, I would use them. 

"I have to go alone. Don't worry, I'll be fine," I told them. "So who's going to be in charge of Aeriodvell when you're gone? You have so many duties. Also how long are you going for?" Dior asked.

"I shouldn't be gone for too long. I should be back in under a week. And you guys will look after Aeriodvell. I trust that you all can work together," I told them.

After instructing them, the boys and Elora left. Only Nia and I remained. "Xirus," she said before reaching out to hold my hands. "Are you going to be ok?" I looked at her and saw that she was concerned. 

"Yes. I'll be ok," I told her. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I am going to warn her and perhaps she'll come back with me. I'll leave tomorrow morning and I'll be back in no time."

Nia smiled before placing her arms around me for a warm embrace. "I'll miss you," she said softly.

"I'll miss you too." I then placed a kiss on her forehead. "And please be safe. Don't run into any trouble. If a week has gone by and you're not back, I'm going to come and get you," she said in a serious tone.

"I won't let that happen. Don't worry Nia, everything will be ok."

As I stood there embracing my wife, I realized just how crazy this all was. I had a sister. I was going back to the human side after I swore I would never go again, and something bad was coming. We had been living peacefully for two years. But I knew this period of peace was about to end or perhaps had already ended.

War was coming.


	50. Chapter 50

I stood there in the dark cave feeling a bit afraid. This was it. I was going to go back to the human's side to find my sister. That was my mission and that was the only thing I planned on doing. So I began to run as fast as I could until I made it to the end of the cave. It was nighttime and it was raining. Just like it was when I had first entered the cave three years ago. I turned around to see the same rock that I had sat on back then. I walked over and took a seat.

As I sat there staring at the trees, thoughts of doubt flooded through my head. I couldn't believe I was here. What if Jason went to the police? What if they assumed I was dead? What if they were still looking for me?

After what seemed like thirty minutes of me debating if I should continue or go back to Aeriodvell, I got up and walked out of the cave. The rain was still pouring and immediately I became soaked.

Fly west.

I was so grateful I had wings. If I didn't have them, I would've had to look for another way to get there. And perhaps someone would recognize me. 

Without waiting any longer, I flew up into the air flying high into the sky. Despite the bad weather, I flew with speed.

After flying west for quite a while, I spotted a massive house located in the middle of nowhere. It hid near a forest. This was it. This was her house. I landed on the driveway seeing several cars. Did many people live here? Was she married? Did she have children?

As I walked up to the doors, I felt my body shrink in height. Sharian had given me a herbal tea to drink that allowed me to look like my previous form so I wouldn't stand out. After all, I was now 6'9". 

Once I got to the doors, I stood there in the rain staring straight ahead. Was I ready to meet her? What would she think of me? Was she having dreams of me too? After pulling myself together, I finally knocked on the door.

It seemed like forever as I waited there patiently. Suddenly, it opened. A male around my age with long hair stood there staring at me weirdly. "May I help you?" he asked. 

"Um..." I started to say. I suddenly remembered the urgency. "Is Leilani there?" I asked. 

"Why do you need her?" he inquired sternly. "Who are you?"

"Is she there?" I asked again. I didn't have time to answer his questions. The only person I wanted to speak to was Leilani. He grunted before looking me up and down. "Come inside," he said. 

I stepped in and closed the door behind me. The house smelled like werewolves. This had to be a packhouse. I had never seen werewolves before. Was this guy a werewolf? Was my sister a werewolf? "Leilani!" the man yelled. 

"I'm coming!" I heard a female voice respond. It sounded exactly like the girl in my dream. Suddenly, someone turned the corner and began to make their way slowly towards us. My palms became sweaty as I stared at the person. It was her. The exact same girl from my dream. She had long white hair and grey eyes. Her skin was very dark just like mine. She really did look like me. She stood there with a confused face. As if she was trying to figure out if she knew me. I guess she never dreamt about me.

"He wants you," the male said. Leilani looked at the male before turning to look at me. 

"Um, hi... do I know you?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"I am Xirus," I replied. 

"Ok..." she said.

"I am your brother," I told her. 

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell," I heard the male say under his breath.

"What do you m-mean you're my b-brother?" she asked with a stutter. I took a deep breath before opening my mouth to speak again. "We're siblings. You're my sister," I said.

She continued looking at me in disbelief. "I-" she sputtered out. She blinked a couple of times. "Well, um come inside. You must be cold," she said. I took off my shoes and followed her into the house. The guy at the door remained still as he stared at me with a shocked face.

I turned the corner to see that she was in the middle of eating dinner. Eight people were seated at the table. Four girls and three boys. "Who's this?" the Asian guy asked.

"Well... um," Leilani started to say. "Apparently he's my brother." Instantly, the twin girls dropped their cutlery onto their plates. "Woah..." they said at the same time. "Uh, I'll be back," Leilani said. She ran up the stairs and disappeared leaving me standing there awkwardly. All of her friends had stopped eating and continued to stare at me. The guy who opened the door was now standing at the entrance of the dining room with his back against the door frame. He had his arms crossed as he looked me up and down.

Leilani suddenly reappeared with a towel. "Here," she said before giving it to me. "You can dry yourself off with this."

"Thanks," I responded. I smiled at her hospitality. It felt nice knowing that I wasn't alone anymore. 

"Um, what was your name again?" she asked me moments later. 

"Oh, uh it's Xirus."

"Xirus..." she repeated. "Well, I'm Leilani. That's Elias. Over there are the twins Indigo and Violet. That's Lucian and Saphira. Blaike, Neha, Julian and Raphael." They all seemed nice. 

"It's nice to meet you all."

"You too," they answered. 

"Are you all werewolves?" I asked. "Yes," Elias answered. I turned to look at Leilani. "Are you?"

"Hmm. Not exactly. I'm a vampire," she admitted. "A v-vampire?" I repeated. Woah. I was not expecting that at all.

Elias suddenly began to sniff the air. "You're not human... you're not a werewolf or even a vampire. So what are you?" he asked. 

I swallowed quickly before telling him. "I am an Elf."

Immediately they all gasped. "Oh my gosh. Roman was right," Leilani whispered. Who was Roman?

"Uh, know you all might be shocked right now, but I really need to speak with you Leilani. It's urgent," I stated. "Ok," she said hesitantly. "We can talk in the basement."

"Well, I'll come too," Elias added. "No, you're not coming," Leilani stated. She gave him a look of reassurance before motioning me to follow her. As we walked, I turned around to see that all her friends were still looking at me. When they realized I was looking at them, they returned back to eating. But Elias continued to stand there as he gave me a piercing look. 

I turned around and continued to follow Leilani until we reached a door. Their house was massive. "Come on," she said as she opened it.


	51. Chapter 51

"This is all so crazy," she said as soon as she sat down on the couch. I walked over and sat on the one opposite her. "So, tell me everything about you," she said.

"Well, I am twenty-three years old," I told her. "What?" she asked in astonishment. "That's not possible," I heard her whisper. "Uh, I am twenty-three too," she said very slowly.

"So, we're..." I began to say.

"Twins," we both said at the same time. I couldn't understand. Where was she when I was growing up? Why didn't my parents mention her at all? Why did they not mention the fact that I had a sister? A twin sister.

"This doesn't feel real," she said. "I still can't believe I have a brother. I mean a twin brother."

Same. It still hadn't registered properly in my brain. "Wait when's your birthday?" I asked her. "Well, we're not sure because I was a couple of months old when I showed up on the doorstep, but that day was November 23rd so that's basically my birthday," she responded.

"Doorstep?" I repeated in confusion. "Yes. When I was a young baby, my parents, the Alpha and Luna of this pack, found me on their doorstep. I don't know who my biological parents are," she clarified.

"Interesting...my parents always celebrated my birthday on the 21st of June, but who knows. Maybe I wasn't born on that day." At this rate, I didn't know what to believe. I had so many questions that needed answers.

"Uh, so tell me about your childhood," she said.

My heart dropped as I began to think about my parents. I hope she didn't have a rough past like I did. I hope she was loved, taken care of, and had many friends. "Ok well, I grew up with my parents. I was the only child, well I thought I was. Um, but they died from a plane crash when I was eighteen years old."

"Oh no," Leilani whispered. "I am so sorry," she said. "Me too, but it's in the past now," I told her.

"So, they were your biological parents, right? Your mother gave birth to you?" she asked.

"Uh... yes... well I think so," I answered her. To be honest, I didn't even look like my parents. They were black just like me, but I didn't resemble either of them. In fact, there were so many things about my family that didn't make sense. I wouldn't even be surprised if they weren't my biological parents. I looked up at Leilani and stared at her facial features. She did look like me. My eyes then moved to her hair. "Your hair... it's so unique," I mentioned.

"Yeah, it is," she chuckled. "It suits you very well. I like it," I admitted.

She beamed with joy. "Thanks, Xirus." Moments later, she opened her mouth to ask another question. "Can you tell me how you became an Elf?" she asked me.

"Well after my parents died, the government sent me to live with a family friend, however, they weren't so friendly after all. They abused me... um... really badly. So, I ran away."

"Oh dear..." she whimpered. "Xirus... I am sorry you had to suffer."

"Yeah, but it made me the Elf I am today. And besides, after I ran away, I found Aeriodvell."

"Aeriodvell? What's that?"

"The land of the Elves. They welcomed me."

"A human? How?" she asked.

"They thought I would be helpful. The Elven King was going to transform one of his men into a very powerful Elf, but he changed his mind last minute. He thought the man would abuse his powers, so instead, I became the powerful Elf. Long story short, the Elf wanted revenge and he killed the King. I gave him a second chance, but he declined. He tried to kill me so in self-defence, I killed him first. Then I was crowned King of Aeriodvell."

"Woah... that is crazy," she said. "So, you're King huh? That's so cool. My twin brother is a King!" she exclaimed.

I chuckled at her excitement. It felt nice that she was proud. "And what about you? Were you always a vampire?" I asked her after a while.

"No, I was bitten by one. A couple of months later, werewolves between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one were sent to The Other Side. It's also called Latum Alterum," she said.

"That's Latin. What is The Other Side?"

"It's a three-dimensional world created by the Moon Goddess. It has four domains. The Fire domain; Regnum Ignis, the Water domain; Regnum Aqua, the Air domain; Regnum Caeli, and the Earth domain; Regnum Terra. Each domain is ruled by an Alpha."

"That's dope," I exclaimed in awe. It was basically an Elemental world.

"Yeah, it really is. It's so beautiful there. Anyways, when we first went four years ago, the Alphas weren't talking. It was like they all lived separately; you know. So, when I got there, I wanted them to reunite. It just didn't make sense to me. How could four different kingdoms that are supposed to work together not be communicating with each other?"

"Was it always like that?"

"No... there's this bracelet called the Potentia Bracelet. It's very powerful. It was made for one specific person, so if the wrong person wore it, calamity would hit. The previous Alphas hid it and promised each other that they wouldn't take it. But unfortunately, the Alpha of Regnum Ignis took it and the other Alphas had to put him down. Years later, the same thing happened again, but this time we didn't put him down. He's locked up," she stated.

I looked down at her wrist to see the golden bracelet. "Is that it?" I asked. She looked down at her hand in shock. "Uh, yeah it is... how did you know?" she asked. "I don't know," I responded truthfully. The voice in my head didn't tell me. Instead, it just seemed obvious. "So, you also have powers?"

"Yes, I do. I guess you can say I am a powerful Vampire." The bracelet was made specifically for her. That was so interesting. Was it the Moon Goddess that made it for her? Did the Moon Goddess even exist?

"My friends and I haven't been in about two years. In fact, we are supposed to go tomorrow morning, but it seems like we won't be. What's going on?"

"Something is coming. She sent an Elven goddess to warn me and now I'm warning you," I told her.

"Who is s-she?" Leilani asked with a stutter.

"Oh um..." I began to say. It was weird how none of my friends knew about the voice in my head but for some odd reason, I wanted to tell my sister about it. "The voice... in my head," I replied softly.

"You hear it too?" she asked as her eyes widened. "Woah..."

"Wait... you also hear the voice in your head?"

"Yes! All the time... well... not all the time, but I do hear a voice in my head. A female voice. She tells me what to do sometimes," she said. I couldn't believe it. We had different childhoods and different transformations, but we were still quite similar.

"This is so crazy... I can't believe you hear her too," she sighed. "What does she say to you?"

"Well, she directs me. It's almost as if she waits until the very last moment to help me get out of a situation," I told her honestly. "Same. She does the exact same for me too," she replied. "Who do you think she is?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea. It doesn't make sense which is why I haven't told anybody about it... well except for you," I said.

Suddenly, I heard the door open abruptly. "Leilani! It's getting late," the masculine voice called out. I assumed it was Elias. Leilani got up fast and checked her phone. "Yeah, it is." She then looked back at me. "You must be tired. I'll prepare a room for you. We can talk more tomorrow."


	52. Chapter 52

"Mom and Dad, meet my brother Xirus," Leilani announced as soon as I entered the kitchen.

"Oh wow! Hello!" the woman exclaimed. By the looks of their faces, I assumed Leilani told them a bit about me already. "I am Athena!" The woman rushed over towards me embracing me in a hug. I stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds before wrapping my arms around her. "It's nice to meet you," I responded. "Likewise!"

"Hi, I'm Zander," the male said. I shook his hand happily. "Nice to meet you!" They seemed like really nice people.

"How did you sleep?" Leilani asked me.

"Very well. Thank you!"

I looked around to see a group of girls around my age seated in the living room. They all looked over at me and smiled. I also spotted a couple of males and even children. It was cool how they all lived in one home. They were like a big family. Leilani then motioned me to follow her. I walked into the dining room to see several people eating breakfast. I instantly noticed Blaike, Lucian, and Saphira.

"Good morning!" they all greeted together. "Good morning!" I responded. I then sat down next to Blaike and observed the food. "Woah, this looks delicious!" I exclaimed. In front of me were plates of waffles and pancakes, bowls of fruits, whipped cream and maple syrup.

"Thank you!" I said with gratitude.

-

"Where are your other friends?" I asked Leilani. After breakfast, we stepped outside and went for a walk. "Oh, they're apart of another pack called SilverCreek. They should be coming over soon," she stated. I was beyond curious to see what they looked like in their wolf form.

"Can you tell me more about Aeriodvell? What's it like?" she asked.

"It's... it is beautiful. The water, the sky, the people, the music, the food. It's paradise," I gushed. "I can imagine," she sighed as we walked in the fields. "And tell me more about Elves."

"There are many different types of Elves, but our specific island has the Elementals, High Elves, and Avariel Elves," I explained.

"What are the High Elves?"

"They are warriors. They fight to protect their own," I told her. "And the Avariels?"

"They're also warriors, but some of them are scholars. They also have wings," I said. "That is amazing!" she gushed in awe. "I would love to see Aeriodvell."

"Oh, you will," I said with a chuckle. Leilani smiled at me. "So, what powers do you have?"

"Well, I'm a mixture of them all. I have Elemental powers. I can fight pretty well. I can also fly and I have lightning powers, acid powers, and echo powers. There are more, but that's just to name a few."

"Acid? Echo?" she repeated in confusion. "Yeah, I can produce an acid so deadly that it literally eats up anything it touches. Especially flesh," I explained. Leilani gasped. "That's scary... but cool," she admitted. "And what about the echo powers?"

"Well, I can make a high pitch sound that can kill pretty much anyone. Also, if the Dragons make that sound, which they do, it doesn't harm me like it harms others."

"D-Dragons... did you say dragons?" she stuttered.

"Yes, we have dragons back in Aeriodvell," I stated. Her eyes widened in awe. "Wow! I definitely need to go there!" she exclaimed. "You'll love it," I added. "And what about you? What powers do you have?" I asked her.

"Well, I can fly too, but I don't have wings. I know... it doesn't make sense. I also have Elemental powers just like you," she added. I watched as she knelt down to touch the grassy ground. Immediately a green stem shot up and continued growing until an orange bud popped out. It grew and grew until the bright orange flower stood tall. Instantly a bee flew over and landed softly immediately extracting its pollen. "Impressive," I said. I then knelt down and placed my hand next to the orange flower. Immediately a stem sprung up just like Leilani's but instead grew into a beautiful blue flower. It was also slightly taller than hers and this time three bees chased each other to the flower.

"Show off," Leilani joked.

Suddenly, I began to see a group of animals running in a distance. Not just any animals. They were wolves. They ran fast with speed as they made their way towards us. "Are those your friends?" I asked Leilani who also stood there staring at them. "Yes, they are."

Once they approached us, I stood there examining them in admiration. They were beautiful creatures. They stood tall with dominion. The black wolf began to trot over to Leilani. She nuzzled into its furry body sighing deeply. He must be Elias.

The others stood there staring at me fiery eyes. They were big. I slowly walked over to the medium brown one wanting to touch it. "Uh, may I?" I asked kind of feeling weird. It moved it its body nearer to me. Once I felt its fur underneath the palm of my hand, I began to hear its heart. It thumped loud and fast. I moved my hand around feeling how soft its fur was. Moments later, I removed my hands quickly not realizing that it could be one of the girls. "Thanks," I uttered in embarrassment.

-

After her friends turned back into humans, Leilani and Saphira grabbed us drinks. We were currently gathered outside together, enjoying the hot summer sun.

Suddenly, I heard Leilani gasp. I turned to look at her to see her standing still with a shocked expression on her face. Her mouth remained open as if she had seen a ghost. "What's happening to her?" I asked her friends.

"We're not sure, but by the looks of it, she's probably having a vision," Saphira said casually. A vision? Did she usually have visions?

We all stood there staring at my sister. After what seemed like forever, she fell out of her trance. Elias caught her before she could fall. "What did you see?" he asked her.

Her eyes began to tear up and she shook her head. "No...no," she said over and over again. "What did you see?" Saphira asked her in anticipation.

Leilani suddenly looked up staring directly at me. "We're going to need all the help we can get. We have to go tell the others. We need to visit Latum Alterum. Now!"


	53. Chapter 53

"What did you see?" I asked in fear.

"C-Chaos... it was like part two of what already happened in Latum Alterum. B-But this time, it involved you," she said looking straight at me. They had told me everything. And with their description of what had happened, I definitely didn't want a part two to occur.

"Were we winning?" Lucian asked.

Leilani shook her head. "I d-don't know," she responded. "But we need to go to Latum Alterum. We need to talk to the Alphas," she stated.

"Alright, when do we leave?" I asked.

"Right now."

-

I got out of the van looking around. In front of us was a forest. I guess there was always a forest that led to a hidden world. Once we all got out, Leilani and her friends said goodbye to the drivers. We began to walk together for a few minutes until we stood in front of a massive cave. "So, it's at the end of this cave? We just pull away some rocks and enter Latum Alterum?" I asked out loud. Leilani's friends turned to look at me weirdly. "No... we have to go through a portal," Blaike responded.

"Portal?" I repeated. I then followed them into the big cave. I noticed a couple of ladders leaning against tall rock pillars. It was also really dark.

"You might want to watch your step," Julian whispered to me from behind. "Thanks," I responded before moving closer towards the middle of the pathway. We continued walking further and further into the cave until we made it to the middle. My mouth parted as soon as I spotted it. The portal. It stood high on a staircase of rocks. Shiny golden stones were scattered around the portal.

"Um... this kind of seems out in the open... What if a human finds?" I asked.

"Well... only us creatures can see it," Leilani responded. That made sense. Of course, a portal to a magical world wouldn't be out in the open. But that made me wonder. Had any human discovered Aeriodvell in the past? Because I discovered it and it wasn't even that hard.

"Alright. Let's go," Leilani stated. "Wait. We don't need to be wiped out?" Saphira asked. "No, we'll back be before we even know it," Elias answered. "After all, we don't exactly have to visit four castles... we just have to visit one." So, one by one we walked up the stairs and stepped into the portal. Leilani decided that she would go last. It was now just her and me left. We both stood at the top. I placed my hand into the portal not feeling anything. I mean, I didn't think I was supposed to feel anything.

I stepped inside imagining that I would walk straight into Latum Alterum, but I was wrong. Instead, I began to fall. Fast like lightning. And before I knew it, I landed with both of my feet on the ground. Immediately, I began to feel my body grow. Instead of being 6'2", I was now 6'9". "Dude... you're massive!" Blaike exclaimed. Everyone turned around to look at me. They gasped as they looked up observing my height. "How can I get that tall..." I heard Raphael whisper. I chuckled at their amazement.

I then looked in front of me to see several branches of leaves hanging low. It prevented me from clearly seeing the other side of the small tunnel. As I shifted my head, I could see light and the faint outlines of trees and what seemed like a castle. I then heard Leilani as she landed softly beside me. "Woah Xirus... you are really tall," she stated. "Are all Elves this tall?" Elias asked.

"No. Most of us are around 6'4", but because I am slightly different, I am 6'9"."

"6'9"?" Neha repeated in shock. "6'4"? Violet repeated after. "He should definitely play basketball with us," Lucian added. That would be fun. Elves against the werewolves. We would win.

Leilani then stepped in front of us and led the way. As I walked into the small tunnel, I pulled away the leaf branches so they wouldn't whack me in the face. Once we made it to the end, I stepped out of the tunnel. "Well, Xirus. Welcome to Latum Alterum!" Leilani exclaimed.

"Woah." It was magnificent. Beyond beautiful. Enchanting. The green plants, grass, and trees thrived with life all around me. The air was warm and clean. The water was crystal clear and gushed loudly far off in a distance. I could also smell fire and the smell of animal meat being roasted. I spotted several wolves running through the trees and fields. They looked free. I then looked up into the bright sky admiring the clouds and the warm star that shone brightly providing sunlight.

"This place is incredible!" I exclaimed. Suddenly, everyone started to run. "Why are we running?" I asked out loud. "Because we have missed our friends!" Lucian shouted back. So we ran. Fast. As we ran I yet again spotted several wolves. When they noticed us they too began to run. As we entered what seemed to be a village of homes, people began to shout. 

"It's Leilani!"

"They're back!"

"She's back!"

"Who is that?"

"He's so tall!"

"He's a giant!"

Leilani and her friends suddenly stopped running and began to greet the people. I stood there with a smile looking at them embrace the villagers. "Who are you?" a young boy suddenly asked me from below. "Well, I am Leilani's brother," I responded back with a smile as I looked down at him. "Woah! That's cool. You're also really tall!" he exclaimed. "I wish I was that tall," he added with a frown.

I reached down and picked up the kid putting him on my shoulders. Immediately he gasped. "Woah!!! I can see everything from up here!"

"Don't worry. One day you'll also be very tall," I said. As I put him down I looked up at his parents. They were, unfortunately, both short. "He won't be tall," the mother stated. As I crouched there still holding onto the boy, I looked deep into his eyes. He seemed disappointed. "Trust me, he will be," I told her. Still holding onto him, I whispered a couple of words. Immediately, I felt a little bit of my power escape my body and enter his.

"Come on Xirus! Let's go!" I heard Leilani call out. 

I got up and began to follow her. As I ran, I turned around to look at the young boy who stood there still staring at me. I then waved before he waved back.

We continued running quite fast. We had even encountered a long bridge, but we continued running. As I was running, I spotted little tiny flying humans. They were fairies! Finally, we approached the castle. It was massive. It was definitely bigger than our castle in Aeriodvell.

I followed Leilani and her friends inside. It was beautiful. We then rushed inside making a sharp left to see several people standing there. Four of them immediately stood out to me. There was a black female with locks, a white female with freckles, a tall male with green eyes, and a male who was significantly older than the majority of the people. These four were all wearing crowns. I assumed they were the Alphas. Alpha Aqua, Alpha Ignis, Alpha Caeli, and Alpha Terra.

"Nathan!" Leilani shouted. I watched as she ran to a male and embraced him in a tight hug. 

"Oh I've missed you so much tiger," he responded back.

"Jasper!" Elias exclaimed before embracing him in a hug. I stood there watching Leilani and her friends greet the people they hadn't seen in two years. Finally, after a good five minutes, Leilani turned to look at me. Her eyes widened almost as if she forgot I was standing there. She then rushed over towards me and yanked onto my arm pulling me towards her friends.

"Everybody, meet my brother Xirus!"


	54. Chapter 54

"Brother?" the black female with the locks repeated. "Yes. Xirus meet the Alphas of Latum Alterum. Alpha Nephele, Alpha Sebastián, Alpha Adamus, and Alpha Isidora."

I bowed my head in reverence. "Oh there's no need for that," Nephele said. "It's very nice to meet you Xirus," Sebastián said. "It's nice to meet you all too."

"And these are our friends. Nathan, Jasper, Annora, Mateo and this is Celestia; Alpha Adamus' wife."

"Hi," I responded.

"Brother?" I heard Nathan ask as he looked at Leilani. "Yes, Nathan. He is my brother," she said with a laugh. "Well then I must have a lot of catching up to do," he answered.

"What's up man?" Mateo said. I fist-bumped him happily. It was nice seeing another black man other than me.

"You're quite tall," Adamus butted in. "And you're not human..."

"No," I answered. "I'm an Elf," I responded.

Immediately they all gasped. "That is so cool!" Jasper exclaimed after a moment of silence.

"My father was right..." I heard Isidora say despite her muttering. I guess he was and to be honest I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to know all that he knew about us Elves. 

"Alright, tell us what's wrong! I can see it in your faces," Celestia mentioned as she looked at us. 

"Something is coming," I told them. "He's right. And it isn't good," Leilani began to say. "I saw it in a vision. That's why we're here. I mean I thought we would be visiting you guys just for fun, but it turns out we need to start preparing."

"Well... were we winning?" Nathan asked. Leilani shook her head. "I d-didn't see," she stammered.

"My Queen," I suddenly heard someone say from behind me. I turned around to see a lady holding a small little girl's hands. "Lala," the little girl cooed before running toward Leilani.

"Gaia!" Leilani shrieked with excitement. She then knelt down opening her arms wide. We watched as Gaia ran into her arms with excitement.

"You're so big now!" Leilani mentioned. She then picked her up and spun in her arms. "She's turning into a lovely little lady!" Saphira gushed. She was quite the little girl. She then turned to look at me. Her green eyes sparkled as her brain tried to process who I was.

"Who's that?" she asked Leilani. "My brother," she responded. Gaia looked me up and down several times. "Tall!"

Leilani chuckled. "Yes, he is tall."

-

After explaining to the Alphas and Leilani's other friends about how I became an Elf and the whole Othorion situation, I began to tell them more about the future.

"So you're telling me that we're going to have another war?" Nathan asked. "This is just fantastic."

"Will we ever have peace?" Isidora asked. "We will," Jasper answered her. "Eventually."

"So... do we know exactly what's going to happen?" Nephele asked. "Not really," Leilani said. "My vision wasn't that clear, but we were running away from something. It wasn't looking good."

"R-Running away?" Sebastian stuttered. "Are you sure? I mean why would we be running away?" he asked. "I don't have the explanations," Leilani responded.

"Ok, well whatever it is, I'm sure we'll win. Us plus the Elves. I mean that should be enough to defeat whatever enemy we'll have to fight against... right?" Lucian asked.

"Well, let's hope so," Adamus said.

"In your library. Do you have books about myths?" I asked them. "Yes we do," Nephele said. "We need to look through them. Perhaps the answers to all of our questions are in those books," I suggested.

"Alright. Let's go to the library. But before we do, is anybody hungry or thirsty?" Nephele asked.

"Me!" Julian exclaimed. "W-What? Julian, we literally ate before we got here," I heard Indigo whisper to him after yanking his arm.

"It's alright. Those who aren't hungry can go straight to the library and those who are, follow me to the kitchen," Celestia said. So Julian, Indigo, Neha and Blaike followed Celestia out of the room. I then followed the others as we made our way to the library. 

"So exactly how tall are you?" Nathan suddenly asked me. "6'9"," I told him. Nathan whistled. "Damn. And if you don't mind me asking, is there a potion that I can drink or something? You know, to make me taller?" he asked.

"Oh gosh Nathan," Annora sighed. "Please ignore him. He's not even that short compared to most werewolves."

Once we made it into the library, we all immediately began to search. Their library was also massive just like ours back in Aeriodvell. As I walked around, I could feel the eyes of several werewolves looking straight at me. I tried to ignore them, but once I heard the whispering, I started to look around.

"His name is Xirus! He's Leilani's brother, he's an Elf, and he is 6'9". Get over it!" Saphira announced loudly. I instantly heard Leilani, Neha, and the twins giggle from behind a bookshelf. When Saphira came near me I thanked her. 

After searching for around an hour and a half, we stopped because we weren't making any progress. We were now outside enjoying some drinks and snacks. "Ok, that wasn't exactly a complete waste of time, but we still didn't find any valuable information," Elias admitted.

"Yeah. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Why can't we just know exactly what we're going to be facing?" Blaike complained.

"Because that's life Blaike. Imagine if we knew about Roman before coming to Latum Alterum. Do you really think we would just leave our lives in a heartbeat to come here?" Leilani asked.

"No..." Blaike answered. "Exactly. We might not get straight-up answers and facts, but there's a lot of us on board and I know for a fact that we're all very intelligent," Leilani added.

"Are you sure about that..." Nathan muttered as he looked at Lucian. "Shut up!" Lucian barked back. Lucian pounced on Nathan and they immediately began to wrestle on the grass.

"Oh, here it goes," Saphira sighed.

"Well, while they do that, we'll show you around!" Leilani exclaimed in excitement. So I began to follow Leilani and some of her friends away from Nathan and Lucian's wrestling match. "I still can't believe you have a brother," Jasper told Leilani. "A twin brother," he clarified.

"Well, you better start believing it because he ain't go anywhere. Well, other than Aeriodvell."


	55. Chapter 55

Tuesday, April 5

I followed the werewolf down the stairs finding myself in a dark place. "He's right over there," the werewolf said. I thanked him before he left. Walking slowly, I made my way over through dungeon. "Isidora is that you?" I heard the voice ask. I then heard him shuffling around as if he was getting up to walk towards the cell door.

"No."

The shuffling immediately stopped. "W-Who is it then?"

"My name is Xirus," I told him. I stood against the wall right beside the cell door making sure he didn't see me. "Xirus?" he repeated. "I've never heard of you before."

I chuckled. "Well, that's because I am not from here. I come from a different place," I responded. "Are you a werewolf from one of the visiting packs? Why are you down here?" he asked out of curiosity.

"I come from a place that very little people know exists. But you, Roman, are not one of them."

He remained quiet for a couple of minutes before opening his mouth to speak. "Y-You're one of them! You're an Elf!" he exclaimed. "How? What are you doing here? Why are you here?"

"Tell me, Roman. What do you know about us?" I asked in return ignoring his questions. "Um, well. I studied Elves for many years. It was something that I strongly believed in. Their existence. Your existence. The people around me thought I was crazy. They thought I was stupid to believe in them. But apparently it was them who was stupid."

Was that true? Werewolves didn't think we existed? That was a shame. "What type of research?" I asked him.

"Well, I just studied your powers, abilities, and myths."

"So you know how powerful we are? You know what we're capable of doing and you know all about our myths?" I reiterated.

"No. I wouldn't say I know all about your myths, powers or even abilities. After all, I have never met an Elf before, despite you. And I haven't been to your world."

"And what were you going to do with your information once you figured out we were real?" I asked him. He remained silent for a bit. "Nothing much. It would just be a cool discovery." He was lying.

"So you weren't going to look for us? You weren't going to try and obtain powers of your own?"

"N-No..." he stammered. "Why would I do that? That sounds absurd." This guy was interesting. "You're acting like I don't know what you've done. As if we're having a casual friendly conversation," I told him.

He began to chuckle. "What is it that you want, Xirus?" he finally asked me. "Your cooperation."

I took a couple of steps forward so Roman could get a good look at me. "Oh my..." I heard him gasp in fear. "You're not an Elf," he stated. I stood there staring at the man who tried to kill my sister. Who tried to kill her friends and the people living in Latum Alterum because of his evil desire to obtain unnecessary power.

"I'm not?" I questioned him.

"Well. If you are... you're different," he answered.

"And how do you know that?"

"You're extremely tall and there's something different about you. You must be powerful. Very powerful."

"I guess you're right," I told him. "Now tell me. How long did you think you were going to have your powers for? Did you actually think you could destroy all of Latum Alterum and rebuild it as your own kingdom?"

"I knew it was going to be difficult, but I thought I would win," he sighed.

"Well, then you're a fool. How could you have possibly ruled a kingdom when you don't even know how to control yourself?" I stated.

"Control myself? I was better at controlling myself than the previous Alpha!" he shouted at me. I backed away with my hands in the air. "You have every right to be upset Roman because the truth can hurt. Men like you are only driven by power and greed. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself because as long as you benefit from it, it's fine."

"YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO COME DOWN HERE AND INTERROGATE ME!" he yelled as he picked up his empty cup and threw it at the cell door. It created a loud sound as it clashed against it and fell on the floor. I stood still not flinching at all.

"People like you are never content with what they have. They always want more," I added. "Why are you here?" he gritted looking irritated.

"We're in danger. Not just my world but yours too," I told him. "So, if there is anything you need to tell me, I suggest you tell me right now."

Roman began to laugh uncontrollably. Oh how badly I wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face. "Why on earth would I tell you what I know without you giving me something in return?" he asked me. Was this guy serious?

"Tell me Roman, what exactly do you want?"

"My freedom. Just let me go and I can help you, you know, plan for whatever is coming our way," he suggested. With my powers, I entered through the cell door and walked towards Roman. He ran backward in fear until his back collided with the wall. I then placed my hands on his head letting him feel the pain I felt when Leilani told me what he had done. "AHHH!" he shrieked in pain. I could feel his body tremble as I continued pressing my fingertips into his head. After a couple of minutes, I let go and immediately he fell to the floor.

"You nearly killed my sister you bastard. You'll get your freedom when you die." And with that, I turned around and exited the dungeon.

"Et invenies in numquam clavem," I heard him mutter. I turned around fast. "What did you say?"


	56. Chapter 56

"What did he say?" Leilani asked me. After meeting with Roman, I ran upstairs to find her. "Et invenies in numquam clavem," I repeated. "He said that I'll never find the key."

"Key?" she repeated. "What key?"

"Maybe your friends know about it. Let's go talk to them," I suggested. Leilani headed over to the library, while I went outside to look for the others. Once we had them all gathered, I told them about the key.

"There's a key? A key to what?" Lucian pondered. "We don't know," I told him. "But has your father ever mentioned something about a key?" I asked Isidora.

"Not that I remember. He never involved me in his research and explorations," she responded. "Can you take me to his room where he worked? Perhaps we can find answers there."

So Blaike, Leilani, Neha, Elias, Nephele, Sebastian, Mateo, Indigo, and Lucian and I made our way to Roman's room. "Woah," I said as soon as we entered it. There were papers everywhere. Some were scattered on the floor and others were spread out across tables. He had several shelves of books. I also noticed bottles that held dark and light liquids. What was he up to?

"Ok, let's search this place thoroughly. Don't just look for a key. Look for anything," Leilani suggested. Not waiting a second longer, we immediately began to search for answers. As we did so, the others were back at the library searching for books that mentioned anything about a key. We had decided to ban people from going to the library for a while so there would be no interference with our search. Isidora and Jasper were downstairs in the dungeon trying to force Roman to speak.

"What do you think this key unlocks?" Blaike asked while he shuffled through some papers. "There are so many options," Indigo responded. "It could unlock a door, a box, a world, or even magic," she added.

"Well whatever it unlocks, it better be useful. I hope it's not something dark," Leilani said. "Has anyone found anything interesting?" Nephele asked after a while.

"No... I mean all these papers have information about us werewolves that we already know. There's nothing juicy," Neha admitted.

"That's interesting. He said he studied for years about Elves. Where's all his research?" Sebastian asked out loud. It was quite obvious that this Roman guy was quite cunning. He had secrets that none of us knew about. It also seemed that he would never give us any information, even if his life depended on it. He probably hid it.

"This room has been locked for years. What if he got someone to destroy the evidence?" I inquired. We all stopped moving. "Maybe Xirus is right. Roman has been locked up for four years now. Whatever valuable information he had four years ago in here might not be here anymore," Leilani said.

"Well, if that's the case we're screwed. That bastard is not going to tell us anything," Elias stated. "But if he did get someone to destroy the evidence, who would it be?" Mateo asked.

"It could be anyone," Leilani sighed. "It could even be Nailah." She was the werewolf who was sent back on earth. There was even a possibility that she was no longer alive.

"We can't assume it's her. We don't even know where she is right now," Sebastian said. Indigo let out a sigh before sliding down against the wall to sit on the floor. "This is tiring," she muttered.

-

After giving up the search in Roman's room, we went to meet up with the others in the library.

"Did you find anything?" Adamus asked us. "No," we told him. "Did you guys find anything?"

"Nope. There's nothing about a key," Violet said. Suddenly Jasper and Isidora entered the library. "Anything?" Leilani asked them. "No, he won't budge," Isidora said. "I even punched him," Jasper added.

"You know what this feels like?" Nathan said. "It feels like we're running in circles. We're not really making any progress. It's like we're looking in the wrong places." He was definitely right. It kind of felt like we were wasting time.

"What if there's no real war heading our way?" Lucian suggested. "What if those dreams mean nothing?"

"Babe, an Elven goddess literally visited Xirus and told him about the severity of this war. There's no way we're just doing this for nothing," Saphira responded.

Out of nowhere, Celestia let out a gasp. I turned to look at her to see that her eyes were wide, and she was completely frozen. She had a shocked facial expression. "What's happening?" I asked.

"She's having a vision," everyone stated at the same time. So we stood there staring at Celestia. After a couple of minutes, she unfroze and Adamus caught her before she fell. "What did you see?" he asked her after a while.

"T-The key," she sighed. "It's not a regular key. It's a small ball."

"What on earth?" Lucian muttered. "How could the key be a ball?"

I stood there trying my best to make sense of what Celestia had just said. "Even though we now know what it looks like, we still don't know where it is," Sebastian said.

"Is that all you saw?" I asked Celestia. "Yes. Oh, and it was orange."

"Orange..." Elias mumbled. "Why do I feel like I've seen it before." After a couple of minutes, Elias opened his mouth to speak."I know where it is!" he suddenly exclaimed with bright eyes. "You do?" Nathan asked.

"It's the necklace Roman gave my mom."


	57. Chapter 57

So immediately, Leilani, Elias, and I returned back to earth. "Do you know exactly where it is?" Leilani asked Elias. Elias had mind-linked one of his pack members to pick us up. "That's the thing. When I gave it to my mom and told her everything about what had happened, she didn't seem like she wanted it. I have never seen her wear it before either. Perhaps it's somewhere in her room."

So we waited patiently until the pack member came. Once he arrived, we entered the vehicle and made our way to Elias' packhouse. When we got there, we went inside. "Mom!" Elias yelled as soon as we entered the house.

"Coming!" she responded back. Out of nowhere, a young boy around eight years old walked down the stairs. "Elias!" he exclaimed as he began to run. Once he reached the third last step, he jumped and landed safely in Elias's' arms. "Hey buddy," he greeted.

"Hi Miles!" Leilani exclaimed before giving him a huge hug. "This is my brother Xirus," she added. "It's nice to meet you Miles," I said. "It's nice to meet you too!"

Moments later, Elias' mother descended down the stairs. "You're back already?" she asked them. Her eyes then landed on me. "Hi, I am Xirus. Leilani's brother," I greeted. "Oh wow! I never knew she had a brother! It's very nice to meet you!" She then embraced me with a hug. I was still getting used to the hugs.

"Mom, remember the necklace Roman gave you?" Elias asked. "Yes," she sighed. "Where is it?"

"Well... I gave it away. I don't want that thing near me," she said.

"YOU GAVE IT AWAY?" Elias shouted in shock. "Watch your tone young man," Elias' mother stated. "Yeah, there's no need to shout," Leilani quieted him. "Natalia, who did you give it to?" she asked Elias' mother calmly.

"Well, I dropped it off at the thrift store yesterday morning."

-

"Great! What if someone already bought it?" Elias said as we drove over to the thrift store. "Well, let's hope not," I answered him.

Once we got there, we ran into the store immediately looking for a sales associate. As soon as we spotted one wearing a red tee, we ran over towards her. "Hi! Um, my mom accidentally brought an orange necklace here yesterday. Have you put it out on the floor yet?" Elias asked the lady.

"Um, one second. Let me go ask them in the back." So we waited there patiently. Moments later she came out. "Yup. We put it out yesterday afternoon."

Elias grunted before running over to the jewelry section. Both Leilani and I followed. After looking around for two minutes, we stopped. It wasn't there.

"THIS IS FANTASTIC! SOMEONE HAS ALREADY BOUGHT IT!" Elias yelled in despair. "There's no need to yell Elias. You're scaring people," Leilani told him after slapping him on the arm. A couple nearby stared at us weirdly before walking away. I then looked up staring out of the window. To my surprise, I noticed a young teenage girl holding the necklace in her hands with excitement as she exited the store. "Look!"

We instantly ran out of the store stopping the girl before she hopped on her bike. "Hi! Um, we really need that necklace!" Elias exclaimed.

"What?" the girl asked with confusion. "I just bought it."

"Yes, we know. Um, but we really need it. The world is in danger," he responded. Both Leilani and I looked at Elias with a curious face. Where was he going with this?

"Let me guess. This necklace has magical powers that can help save the world?" she asked with excitement. "Something like that," Elias answered.

She then began to laugh."You guys are weird! I need to get home!" So she hopped on her bike and began to ride away. "We can't just let her get away!" Elias exclaimed.

I closed my eyes as stretched out my hand. The girl immediately stopped her bike, got off, and ran towards us. "Here," she said as she handed it to me.

"Thank you."

We watched as she ran over to her bike and rode away. "That was close," Leilani muttered. "Did you really think she was going to believe you?" she asked Elias as we walked towards the car.

-

When we returned to Latum Alterum with the necklace, everyone was happy. "You guys took quite long," Nathan said.

"Well. My mom didn't exactly have it. She donated it to the thrift store," Elias said.

"She did what?" Saphira asked in shock. "We almost missed it, but thanks to Xirus we have it!" Leilani said.

I stared at the orange ball as I moved it around with my fingers. "So here it is," Mateo stated. We all stared at it in awe. Suddenly, it began to glow. I was taken aback. "Does it usually do that?" Sebastian asked.

"No..." Elias said. "Maybe it's because he's holding it," Adamus mentioned. He opened his hand and I gave it to him. It immediately stopped glowing. Everyone took turns holding it hoping it would glow during their turn, but it never did. When it was Leilani's turn, everyone was sure that it would glow in her possession. However, it didn't.

When she handed it back to me, it began to glow again. "That is so cool but weird," Lucian admitted.

"He's probably a God for all we know," Julian mentioned.

"I guess you're the one who's going to hold onto it," Leilani said. So that's what I did. Over the next couple of days, we kept our eyes open. Most of us believed that it was a key to a box. Others believed it was a key to a door. After being in Latum Alterum for almost an entire week, I decided that it was time to go back home.

"So he's just going to go return back to Aeriodvell just like that?" Neha asked.

"No," I responded. "You all are coming with me."


	58. Chapter 58

"So, you're telling me behind those rocks is Aeriodvell?" Lucian asked. We were all gathered at the end of the cave. The entrance to Aeriodvell. "Yes," I told him. So with my powers, I removed the stones, creating a doorway for Leilani and her friends. "Woah!" Raphael gushed. They began to whisper in awe.

"After you," I said with my hand out. So Leilani and her friends, one by one, stepped into Aeriodvell. After following them, I closed up the doorway.

"Dang! It's so hot here!" Jasper stated. I sighed in satisfaction feeling glad to be home. Immediately I returned to my regular elf form. "I will never get over how he does that," Blaike said.

"Follow me!" So we began to make our way towards the villages. When we got there, people began to shout in excitement!

"The King is back!"

"Xirus is back!"

"Wait, you're the King?" Nathan asked me. I didn't tell them about my status before because I didn't want the attention. Unfortunately, there was no other way to conceal it. "Yup, he is," Leilani answered him.

As we made our way through the villages, I made sure to greet everyone. All the children came over towards me so they could get their high-fives. "Wow, everyone is really tall," Nephele said. "Yeah, I feel like an ant," Nathan pouted. It took us quite a while to get through the villages because everyone was so excited to see me. Once I made it past the crowds of people, I saw Nia flying towards us in a distance. With a smile on my face, I stood there patiently waiting for her. As I did so, I could hear Leilani's friends as they all were completely shocked by what they were seeing.

Once Nia made it near me, she landed and ran into my arms. Immediately I fell backward onto the grass not expecting the amount of force she used. "I missed you," she sighed near my ear as she continued to embrace me. She sat up with a smile on her face before leaning down to kiss me. I kissed her back with excitement.

"They're so cute!" I heard Saphira shriek from behind us. Nia instantly stopped kissing me and stared at me with a confused face. She then turned around to see Leilani and her group of friends staring at us in bewilderment. She jumped up in embarrassment. "XIRUS!" I heard someone yell in a distance. I turned around to see the boys as they were flying over towards us on their dragons.

"Are those..." Raphael started to say. "D-Dragons?"

"No... they're pigs," Blaike responded with sarcasm.

Once they landed, they slid off of their dragons and embraced me in a hug. "We missed you."

Elora, who was riding with Dior also embraced me in a hug. "It's nice to see you!"

Suddenly, I heard the sound of something hit the ground. I turned around to see Lucian, who had passed out. Saphira immediately bent down, trying to wake him up.

"Everyone, meet my wife Ellania, her sister Elora, and my best friends, Kai, Dior, Carnelian, and Palinourus," I told them. "Wife?" a couple of them repeated. Leilani's boy friends went up to my Elemental friends and began chatting with them. The girls walked over to Elora and Nia with excitement.

Leilani stood there staring at Nia. "She's so pretty!" Nia exclaimed in awe. "It's so nice to meet you!" I watched as my wife embraced Leilani in a tight hug. Leilani embraced her back with a smile on her face. "You are absolutely stunning!" she complimented her back.

Once everyone greeted each other, Leilani's friends asked if they could touch the dragons. "Go ahead," I said. As the boys showed everyone how to pet the dragons, Nia and I went for a little walk.

"I'm so happy you're back," she said. I bent down and kissed her belly. "How is my little baby doing?"

"She's doing well," Nia responded. I stood up quickly in shock. "It's a g-girl?" I asked her feeling my eyes water. Nia nodded in agreement.

I picked her up with joy. It was at that moment that I forgot about everything else. I was going to have a daughter. A little Nia was going to be running around. I couldn't contain my happiness. I felt elated.

"What's that?" Nia asked me as I put her down. "It's a key. I have so much to tell you."

The End

EPILOGUE

Leilani and her friends decided to stay in Aeriodvell for a week. Despite them enjoying themselves, we couldn't forget about the key. So we stayed alert. We searched our library for answers, but there were none. Despite having strong powers, I somehow felt weak.

It was now the late afternoon, and I was on my way to the library. Once I got there, I entered the room that held the Book of Myths with a sigh. "Speak to me!" I shouted as I stared up at the ceiling. I hadn't heard her voice in a very long time. I needed to know more!

I walked towards the book and began flipping the pages. I wanted to see something that I had never seen before. After a couple of minutes, I sighed and threw myself onto the book with defeat. As my head rested against my arm, I closed my eyes.

Suddenly, I heard a click. I looked down to see the orange ball, which was dangling on my neck, connect with the book underneath me. The Book of Myths. With widened eyes, I stared at it as it began to glow brighter than it had ever done before. I took off the necklace and let it dangle from the book. I then opened it frantically looking for anything that was unusual. I held the book by its covers and shook it, but nothing fell out. I placed my fingers on the orange ball and pressed it, but nothing happened. I then quickly flipped to the last page. Perhaps a new page had been added. Once I got to the end of the book, I got up in shock.

Right in front of me was a blank sheet of paper with nothing on it. I flipped it over to see nothing. "Huh?"

As I stared hard at the paper, I began to see words forming. As if someone was writing something. So I stood there in shock and waited until the writing had stopped to read the whole thing. After reading it, I gasped. Grabbing the book, I ran out of the library to find Leilani and everybody else.

"What is it?" Leilani asked me in anticipation.

I opened the book and placed it on the table so everyone could see it. Leilani then read it out loud for us all to hear.

"A war amongst the Gods and men.

A war to see who will conquer in the end.

The two heads will either agree or disagree.

Many creatures will fight against each other or fight in harmony.

The right decisions can save us all or the wrong can cause us to fall.

When it is all over we will be free.

When it is all over you will finally see."


End file.
